425. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Secretary of State and Senator Walter F. George, Washington, October 30, 1956, 12:48 p.m.1
TELEPHONE CALL FROM SENATOR GEORGE
G. asked what the Sec. has heard this a.m. The Sec. said we have word from the Br that they say they have secured an agreement from the Israelis not to attack Jordan but apparently they are more or less conniving in an attack against Egypt and are using that as a prearranged pretext, I think, for a statement that unless the fighting stops within 12 hours they will move their forces into the Suez Canal area. They are calling upon both to withdraw to a zone which will leave the Canal free of either of their forces and that if they do not do that they will move in. The Egyptians are not going to move out and it is almost certain the Br and Fr are working in collusion with the Israelis in this matter. G. asked re a special session2—the Sec. said he does not think it necessary. G. hoped not. The Sec. said there is no occasion unless we were planning military action which we are not or unless we wanted to give massive aid and we don’t plan to do that. The Pres. does not think there is need. G. asked re the UN, and the Sec. said it is before the UN now, G. said if they call on us then he guesses you might have to do something. The Sec. said yes—the res calls upon Israel to withdraw its forces and to abstain from any economic assistance to Israel so long as it is in violation of this res. This just means we suspend aid [Page 862] to Israel. The Sec. said it is all right for him to go home. The Sec. said we fought them off for 3 months against using force which they have been determined to do and now they are going ahead without us. The Sec. is afraid it will prove a disaster but they may prove they are right—the Sec. does not know.