6. Memorandum From the Director of the Office of Near Eastern Affairs (Wilkins) to the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Allen)1
SUBJECT
- Jordanian Adherence to the Baghdad Pact
After Messrs. Coulson and Morris called on you Monday, December 5 we dispatched Dept Circular 373 to the field (Tab A2). In that we asked Ambassador Mallory to keep us informed and also to comment on the British view that U.S. support for the U.K. in its efforts to get Jordanian adherence would be of particular significance. The British have said that a U.S. promise of additional economic aid to Jordan would be very helpful.
Ambassador Mallory has replied to Embtel 264 (Tab B3) giving his view that a mere verbal assurance of U.S. support for Jordan’s adherence or even an undertaking to provide additional economic aid would have little effect on the Jordanians. He feels that the strongest effect could be gained through commitments to furnish military aid.
Willie Morris called at NE yesterday and read us a long telegram from General Templer in Amman.4 Templer feels that his first visits have been encouraging and the British promises of additional aid to the Arab Legion and a revision of the Anglo-Jordanian Treaty have been quite effective. When we told Morris that Mallory felt that only U.S. military aid would have substantial impact in the situation, he did not appear to press the matter further. We told him that we have been working on the assumption that military assistance to Jordan would remain a British responsibility. Mr. Morris appeared gratified at this. Our guess is that the British would much prefer to continue their present monopoly on military aid to Jordan.
A further telegram (Embtel 266) (Tab C5) has now come in from Ambassador Mallory in which he confirms the general optimism of the British and indicates that he has carried out the Department’s instructions in a conversation with the King.