U.S. Decision to Withdraw Support from the Aswan High Dam and Egyptian Nationalization of the Suez Canal Company, March 13–July 26, 1956


190. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.85322/3–656. Secret. Drafted by Ludlow; cleared with Russell, Barnes, and Bergus; and approved by Rountree who signed for Hoover. Also transmitted to Cairo, Amman, Damascus, Beirut, London, Paris, and Jerusalem. Pouched to Ankara, Baghdad, and Jidda.


191. Message From the Ambassador in Egypt (Byroade) to the Secretary of State

Source: Department of State, NEA Files: Lot 59 D 518, Alpha—Anderson Talks w/BG & Nasser. Incoming Telegrams—Jan.–March 1956. Part II. Secret.


192. Memorandum by the Director of the Office of Near Eastern Affairs (Wilkins)

Source: Department of State, NEA Files: Lot 59 D 518, Omega—Egypt—Dam, Miscl. 1956. Top Secret. The source text contains no information to indicate who read it. Document 209, however, refers to it, indicating it was seen.


193. Telegram From the Consulate General at Jerusalem to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/3–1456. Secret; Limit Distribution. Received at 3:18 p.m.


195. Telegram From the Embassy in Egypt to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.85322/3–1456. Confidential. Received at 1:53 a.m., March 15. Repeated to London, Amman, Beirut, Damascus, Jidda, Baghdad, and Tel Aviv.


196. Telegram From the Embassy in Syria to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.85322/3–1556. Secret. Received at 9:13 a.m. Repeated to Amman, Beirut, Cairo, Tel Aviv, London, Paris, Ankara, Baghdad, Jidda, and Jerusalem.


197. Message From Prime Minister Eden to President Eisenhower

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File. Ambassador Makins forwarded Prime Minister Eden’s message to the President, but, according to a cross reference sheet in the lot file containing Presidential Correspondence, this message was filed in the White House. Neither Makins nor Eisenhower sent a copy to Hoover. (Department of State, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204, Eden to Eisenhower Correspondence, 1955–1956. Vol. I)


198. Memorandum of a Conversation, London, March 15, 1956

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 661.74/3–1556. Confidential. Drafted by Wilson.


199. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, March 15, 1956

Source: Department of State, S/SNEA Files: Lot 61 D 417, Alpha Volume 16. Top Secret; Alpha; Limited Distribution. Drafted on March 27 by Russell.


200. Memorandum From the Acting Secretary of State to the Secretary of State

Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, Meetings with the President. Secret. The source text bears a notation that Secretary Dulles saw this memorandum.


201. Letter From Prime Minister Ben Gurion to President Eisenhower

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File. Ambassador Eban on March 23 forwarded the letter along with a covering letter to Dulles. In his covering letter, Eban asked Dulles to arrange a private meeting for him with Eisenhower to enable him to deliver Ben Gurion’s letter in person and to convey as well a brief oral message from the Prime Minister. (Department of State, NEA Files: Lot 59 D 518, Alpha—Anderson Talks w/BG & Nasser. Jan’56—Memos, etc.)

According to Dulles’ memorandum of conversation with the President on March 26, it was not until then that Dulles gave the letter to Eisenhower along with recommendations that it did not require an immediate response, and that it would be unwise to honor Eban’s request for a private session at the White House, since it would require a corresponding visit with an Arab personality. (Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, Meetings with the President)


202. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 641.84A/3–1656. Secret. Received at 4:52 p.m. Repeated to London, Paris, and Cairo.


203. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.85322/3–1656. Secret. Received at 6:27 a.m., March 18. Also sent to Cairo, Amman, Damascus, Beirut, London, Paris, and Jerusalem. Repeated to Ankara, Baghdad, and Jidda.


204. Message From Prime Minister Eden to President Eisenhower

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File. Top Secret. Ambassador Makins forwarded this message as an enclosure to a memorandum to the President on March 19. Ann Whitman sent Hoover a copy on March 20. (Department of State, Central Files, 780.5/3–2056)


205. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/3–2056. Secret. Received at 1:11 p.m. Repeated to London and Paris.


207. Telegram From the Embassy in the Sudan to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 645W.74322/3–2056. Secret; Priority. Received at 6:59 a.m., March 21.


208. Note From the British Ambassador (Makins) to Secretary of State Dulles

Source: Department of State, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204, Eden to Eisenhower Correspondence 1955–1956. Vol. I. Top Secret; Personal. The source text bears a notation indicating that Dulles saw it.


209. Memorandum From the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs (Murphy) to the Under Secretary of State (Hoover)

Source: Department of State, NEA Files: Lot 59 D 518; Omega—Egypt—Dam, Miscl. 1956. Top Secret. The source text contains no information to indicate it was sent to Hoover.


210. Memorandum of a Conversation Between Adam Watson of the British Foreign Office and the First Secretary of the Embassy in the United Kingdom (Wilson), London, March 21, 1956

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 641.74/3–2256. Top Secret. Drafted by Wilson. Barbour enclosed this memorandum of conversation with a letter he wrote to Allen on March 22.


211. Message to Washington

Source: Department of State, NEA Files: Lot 59 D 518, Alpha—Anderson Talks w/BG & Nasser. Incoming Telegrams—Jan.–March 1956. Part II. Secret.


212. Telegram From the Embassy in Jordan to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.85322/3–2156. Confidential. Received at 2:24 p.m. Repeated to Cairo, Damascus, Beirut, and Tel Aviv.


213. Memorandum From the Secretary of State’s Special Assistant (Russell) to the Under Secretary of State (Hoover)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 884A.10/3–2256. Secret. Drafted by Troxel.


214. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Israel

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/3–2256. Top Secret; Alpha; Eyes Only. Drafted by Russell on March 16 and approved by Russell who signed for Hoover.


215. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/3–2256. Confidential. Received at 3:04 p.m., March 23. Repeated to London, Paris, Cairo, Amman, Damascus, and Beirut.


216. Telegram From the Embassy in the United Kingdom to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 396.1/3–2656. Secret. Received at 4:43 p.m. Repeated to Paris.


217. Telegram From the Embassy in Israel to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 884A.10/3–2656. Secret. Received at 9:44 a.m., March 27.


218. Memorandum From the Acting Executive Director of the International Development Advisory Board (Barnes) to Oliver L. Troxel, Jr., of the Office of Near Eastern Affairs

Source: Department of State, NEA/IAI Files: Lot 70 D 246, Draft Ltr—E.J. to Nasser. Secret.


219. Telegram From the Embassy in Egypt to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 874.2614/3–2756. Secret. Received at 3:49 p.m.