330. Telegram From the Secretary of State to the Department of State1
Dulte 6. I spoke this morning before the Council meeting to Selwyn Lloyd and Sir Harold Caccia concerning the staging matter. Lloyd said that he saw no objection to the project. If it were carried out before there were hostilities we could probably fly the planes for delivery at Tel Aviv. If there were hostilities, and the Arabs were the aggressors, then the operation would come clearly under the tripartite declaration.
Caccia added that there might be a problem if hostilities broke out with no clear aggressor or victim. I admitted that this was inherent in the situation, and equally raised the question of the efficacy of the Tripartite Declaration.
I mentioned to them my talk with Pearson last evening.2 Lloyd said he would favor Canada sending enough F–86’s for training purposes to be supplemented by our “stock pile”.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/5–456. Top Secret; Omega. Received at 1:49 p.m. The text of this telegram is the same as a memorandum dictated by Merchant from Dulles’ handwritten notes of his conversation with Lloyd and Caccia. The memorandum and notes are attached to a memorandum from Merchant to Macomber, May 4, Ibid., S/S–NEA Files: Lot 61 D 417, Omega #4.↩
- See Document 325.↩