436. Draft Message From President Eisenhower to Prime Minister Eden1
Dear Anthony: Thank you very much for your second explanatory cable which reached me shortly after I had dispatched one to you urging caution and moderation with full opportunity for the United Nations to do its best on this difficult problem.
I must say that it is hard for me to see any good final result emerging from a scheme that seems certain to antagonize the entire Moslem world. Indeed I have difficulty seeing any end whatsoever if all the Arabs should begin reacting somewhat as the North Africans have been operating against the French. Assuredly I hope, as I know you do, that we shall not witness any such spectacle as the Soviets [Page 875] have on their hands in Hungary. However, I assume that you have your plan all worked out and that you foresee no such dreary and unending prospect stretching out ahead.
I think I faintly understand and certainly I deeply sympathize with you in the problem you have to solve. Now we must pray that everything comes out both justly and peacefully.2
With warm regard,
As ever
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Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, White House Telephone Conversations. Top Secret; Personal and Private. Attached to a note from Whitman to Bernau which reads: “Here is the message the President just called Secretary Dulles about. He wants the Secretary to give it final approval before sending out.”
At 4:54 p.m. on October 30 President Eisenhower telephoned Dulles and read to him the text of a draft letter responding to Eden’s second message that had crossed Eisenhower’s message earlier in the day. Dulles responded to the draft by noting, according to the White House transcript, “there is another thing, of course—the great tragedy just when the whole Soviet fabric is collapsing, now the British and French are going to be doing the same thing over again.” Dulles suggested that the President add: “I am afraid we will be back in the same pasture as the Soviets in Hungary.” Eisenhower agreed to “work it in” and said he would send the draft to Dulles for final editing. (Ibid., Whitman File, Eisenhower Diaries; a separate memorandum of conversation by Bernau is ibid., Dulles Papers, White House Telephone Conversations)
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At 5:23 p.m. Dulles called the President and said he was looking the letter over and the last part is a bit too much assuming it is all going to happen. The Pres. agreed and said let us hold it until the a.m. (Note—a new letter will come over.)” (Ibid.)
A subsequent draft of this letter, dated October 31, is ibid., Whitman File, International File. A marginal notation on that copy in Eisenhower’s hand reads: “Do not send DE. Eden and I exchanged short cables last night, late. Be sure our file has copy of all incoming and outgoing message. DE”
↩ - Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩