Office of the Historian

440. Message From Prime Minister Eden to President Eisenhower1

London, October 30, 1956.

I have received your formal message, and I see that its substance has already been published. I realise that you wrote in this way in order to avoid encroaching upon the confidential nature of personal exchanges. But, in view of the publicity given to it, I shall be obliged in our Parliamentary discussions, which are to be resumed tomorrow, to comment on some of the points made in your letter in [Page 883] order to justify British policy and action. For this purpose, I think I must be free to make public the substance—though not, of course, the full text—of the two messages which I sent to you in the course of today. I am sure you will understand.2

  1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File. Top Secret.↩

  2. Printed from an unsigned copy. A marginal notation by Eisenhower on the source text reads: “My answer was—‘By all means use any part you see fit.’ DE” At 10:52 p.m., October 30, Eisenhower’s response to Eden was sent Niact to London in telegram 3103. (Department of State, Central Files, 641.74/10–3056)

    In telegram 2400, October 31, Aldrich relayed a telephone message from Eden in which the Prime Minister said he had not used any quotations from the President’s messages during the October 31 debate in the House of Commons. Eden also said that while he was planning to avoid using them on November 1, it might be necessary to do so because of increased pressure from the opposition. Eden also asked Aldrich to convey his appreciation for Eisenhower’s consent to use such quotations. (Ibid., 684.86/10–3156)

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