Office of the Historian

364. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in France1

Washington, October 22, 1956—5:36 p.m.

1448. Eyes only Ambassador from Secretary. I have impression from your cables Nos. 1839 and 18532 that French Government feels that our opposition to the use of force in connection with Suez results from an election situation and that we might not be as strongly opposed after election. I can assure you the views of the President and myself on this point are basic and fundamental and I do not see any likelihood of their being changed after election. I do not know whether anything needs to be said from our side with regard to this situation but we would not of course want French Government to feel that we had in any respect misled them.

Dulles
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 974.7301/10–1956. Top Secret; Priority; No Distribution. Drafted by Dulles. Repeated to London eyes only for the Ambassador.↩
  2. Documents 357 and 359, respectively.↩