47. Record of a Meeting, British Foreign Office, London, March 10, 1955, 10:15 a.m.1
PALESTINE SETTLEMENT
- United Kingdom
- Mr. Shuckburgh
- Mr. Simpson
- United States
- Mr. Russell
- Mr. Wilson
- Mr. Burdett
- Mr. Mak
A. The Timing of Alpha
Mr.Shuckburgh recalled that when the Secretary of State received Mr.Russell on March 92 he had been favourably impressed by the broad outlines of the Alpha settlement and had thought that an early approach to Colonel Nasser might be desirable. It would be necessary to seek the views of the United Kingdom and United States Ambassadors3 in Cairo as to whether the balance of advantage was for or against sounding Nasser in the context of the present difficult political situation. The Foreign Office were ready to send a suitable telegram to Sir Ralph Stevenson at the appropriate time.
Mr.Russell said that immediately on his return to Washington he would report personally to Mr.Dulles and would inform him of Sir Anthony Eden’s views. He would recommend to Secretary Dulles that simultaneous telegrams be sent from Washington and London to the two representatives at Cairo asking for their joint views and emphasising the need to avoid disturbing the Anglo-Iraqi Treaty negotiations.4
It was agreed that meanwhile, as soon as the agreed documents resulting from the present meetings were ready, Mr.Russell would write to the United States Ambassador in Cairo5 and Mr.Shuckburgh to Her Majesty’s Ambassador, in order to inform them fully and let them know that their views might shortly be required on the question of timing.
As regards informing other representatives of the two Governments, it was pointed out that the first object would be to give them [Page 96] warning that approaches were being made which might intimately affect their relations with the local Governments (e.g. at Tel Aviv, Amman and Bagdad); a secondary object would be to obtain their personal views on the substance of the Alpha settlement. It was essential, however, that no hint of the operation should be given before Colonel Nasser was sounded.
Mr.Shuckburgh said that Her Majesty’s Ambassador at Amman6 knew the broad outline of the settlement, although he had no papers. It would be desirable for the Head of the British Middle East Office at Nicosia7 and Her Majesty’s Ambassador at Bagdad8 to be informed also at an early date.
It was agreed that, if the representatives at Cairo reported favourably on the question of approaching Colonel Nasser, and before instructions were sent to them to do so, Top Secret and Personal messages might be sent to the United Kingdom and United States representatives at Tel Aviv9 and Amman10 and to the Head of the B.M.E.O. at Nicosia informing them in general terms of what was afoot. Mr.Russell gave his agreement subject to the views of Mr.Dulles.
It was also agreed that no detailed Alpha documents would be sent out to these posts until it was learned that Colonel Nasser’s reaction to the approach was sufficiently constructive to justify the assumption that progress would be made.
B. Documents and Maps
It was noted that the main document entitled “Points of Agreement” was now ready;11 Appendix 2, on refugees, would shortly be run off; the final draft of Appendix 1, on frontiers, was being prepared; Appendices 3, 4 and 5, i.e. the three draft treaties, would also shortly be run off.12
As regards maps, the State Department would provide copies of the overlay for the Foreign Office;13 this would serve the purpose of Her Majesty’s representatives at the affected capitals, who would all have the necessary 1:100,000 maps of Palestine. The State Department would also try to produce maps on which the proposed [Page 97] changes had been drawn; preferably both a small-scale one (say 1:750,000) and a larger-scale one which might be in more than one sheet (say 1:250,000 or 1:500,000).
C.Johnston Mission
It was noted that the State Department would inform the Foreign Office of the result of Mr.Johnston’s report to Mr.Dulles and about any attempt it desired the United Kingdom to make, at a high level, to modify the attitude of the Israel Government towards the Jordan waters scheme.
D. Provisional Tactics When Alpha Is Launched
Assuming that Colonel Nasser reacted favourably and was inclined to adopt the Alpha recommendations,it was agreed that the preparatory warning approach to the Governments of Jordan and Iraq should be made by the United Kingdom representatives at Amman and Bagdad after full consultation with their American colleagues. It would be important to consult Colonel Nasser about the method of approach to the other Arab governments.
It was agreed that, in order to lend weight to the approach to the Israel Government, the two Secretaries of State might send written messages to Mr.Sharett, setting out the Alpha proposals in broad detail and commending to him the arguments which the two Ambassadors at Tel Aviv would use. It would probably be desirable for the two Ambassadors to travel unobtrusively to Cyprus for briefing, possibly by Messrs.Russell and Shuckburgh, and they could then be given the signed letters from their Secretaries of State. If Mr.Sharett agreed, the Israeli Ambassadors in London and Washington14 should be informed; and it would be desirable to make some approach at about the same time to prominent members of the Jewish community in the United States and the United Kingdom. It would be desirable for subsequent detailed discussions of Alpha to be held with the Israelis in London. The Egyptian Government might agree also to similar detailed discussions which could eventually be transferred to London. The object would be in due course to get the two parties into the same room.
It was agreed that the French Government should be informed in Paris possibly by Mr.Shuckburgh with reference to his recent conversation with M. Roux,15 in which he had spoken in general terms about the desirability of settling the Palestine problem. The [Page 98] Turkish Government should be informed in Ankara, preferably by the American Ambassador.16
The present meeting concluded the series of talks in London.
- Source: Department of State,NEA Files: Lot 59 D 518, London Talks, Feb.–March 1955: Minutes of Meetings held Feb. 28 thru March 10 (Mimeo). Top Secret. No drafting information is given on the source text.↩
- Seesupra.↩
- Sir Ralph Clarmont Skrine Stevenson and Henry A. Byroade, respectively.↩
- See Document 52.↩
- A letter of March 10 from Russell to Byroade is in Department of State,NEA Files: Lot 59 D 518, London Talks, Feb.–March 1955: (1) Memo of Conv of 3/9 with Eden; (2) FHR’s letr of 3/10 to Byroade.↩
- Charles Beresford Duke.↩
- Sir John Cecil Sterndale Bennett.↩
- Sir Michael Wright.↩
- John Walter Nicholls and Edward B. Lawson, respectively.↩
- Charles Beresford Duke and Lester D. Mallory, respectively.↩
- Infra.↩
- None of the five appendices is printed. Copies of these documents are in Department of State,NEA Files: Lot 59 D 518, London Talks, Feb–March 1955:Points of Agreement … of Arab-Israel Settlement (Hecto) (5 appendices).↩
- Copies of the maps areibid.↩
- Eliahu Elath and Abba Eban, respectively.↩
- Henri Roux, officer in charge of Africa-Levant affairs in the French Foreign Ministry.↩
- Avra M. Warren.↩