Office of the Historian

459. Memorandum of a Conversation Between the First Secretary of the British Embassy (Morris) and the Deputy Director of the Office of Near Eastern Affairs (Burdett), Department of State, Washington, July 14, 19561

Washington, July 14, 1956

SUBJECT

  • Egyptian Suggestions Regarding Arab-Israel Settlement

Mr. Morris showed Mr. Burdett a telegram from London commenting upon the views expressed by the Department on Fawzi’s initiative with respect to the Arab-Israel settlement.2 The Foreign Office stated that it also had no illusions about the Egyptian intention. The British also agreed with us that we should not give the Egyptians any excuse to say that we had killed their initiative and therefore should encourage them to develop the project. The Foreign Office also agreed with the Secretary’s comment that even if we put the worst possible construction on the matter, that is, that it was an agreed Egyptian-Soviet approach, we should still not discourage the initiative. The British are informing Hammarskjold of Fawzi’s initiative by letter and are mentioning to him their misgivings about the concept of a five-power conference on the second stage.3

Mr. Burdett informed Mr. Morris of Ambassador Byroade’s talks with Fawzi and Nasser on the matter.4

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/7–1456. Top Secret. Drafted by Burdett.↩
  2. Not found in Department of State files.↩
  3. Telegram 247 from London, July 13, informed the Department of this British initiative. (Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/7–1356)↩
  4. See Documents 440, 447, and 450.↩