Office of the Historian

133. Letter From President Eisenhower to Prime Minister Nasser1

Washington, February 27, 1956.

Dear Mr. Prime Minister: I wish to express appreciation for your letter of February sixth2 and for the time and attention which you have generously given Mr. Anderson on his recent trip. My Secretary of State and I have had the benefit of a careful and detailed report by Mr. Anderson of your conversations, and we have discussed with him the steps which might be taken in pursuit of a peaceful settlement.

Since I last wrote to you, I have grown increasingly concerned over the tensions that have arisen in the Near East. Until the underlying issues which cause them are resolved, the risk of an outbreak of hostilities is constantly with us.

I believe that the present time may offer the best opportunity to work out a settlement which will make it possible for the United States to give increasing assistance in achieving the aspirations of the Arab peoples. I know from your statement of the desirability to eliminate the tensions between the Arab states and Israel that you will want to continue your fruitful conversations. With this in mind, Mr. Anderson is returning to the Near East within a few days.

I have followed with interest the reports of the negotiations on the construction of a High Dam at Aswan and have been pleased to note the progress which has been made. The High Dam represents in finest form the policy of peaceful development for your people of which you wrote. Please permit me to renew my warmest good wishes. Through Mr. Anderson and others with whom you have been good enough to discuss fully and frankly their important problems, I feel that I am becoming better acquainted with you.

Sincerely,3

  1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Eisenhower Diaries. Regarding the drafting of this letter, see footnote 1, supra.↩
  2. See Document 75. The signed original of Nasser’s letter to Eisenhower was transmitted to the White House on February 25 as an attachment to a memorandum of that date from Barnes to Goodpaster. (Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File)↩
  3. The source text is not signed.↩