562. Memorandum of a Conference With the President, White House, Washington, November 9, 1956, 8:45 a.m.1
OTHERS PRESENT
- Sir Anthony Caccia
- John Simmons
- Colonel Goodpaster
The meeting was held for Ambassador Caccia to present his credentials to the President. I joined the meeting after it had been in progress about five minutes. The President was referring to the measures presently under way in the United Nations for the resolution of the Middle East crisis, and said that once those had been agreed, and forces removed, the next stage is to keep the Russians out.
The President said that just because Britain and the United States had had a sharp difference over the attack on Egypt, there was no thought that we would not keep our friendship over the long term. As indicative of the reason why we opposed the British and French action in the Middle East so strongly, he cited a letter he had received from a member of the Hungarian Government, which has now been liquidated, to the effect that it was only the attack on Egypt by Israel, Britain and France that led the Soviets to seek to reimpose their domination of Hungary by force. The President referred to the great difficulties in developing an understanding of the Soviet action in the proper light. He referred to a letter from “someone in the Far East” who had told him that the Soviets had had to go back in order to restore order. People in the Far East had indicated that, to them, colonialism is not colonialism unless it is a matter of white domination over colored people. Ambassador Caccia commented that as long as such domination is over immediately adjoining areas, rather than across the water, it is all right. The President said that it seemed as though, when he points out the murders that are being committed in Hungary, some of the Far Eastern leaders just shrug them off.
Ambassador Caccia said Eden sent every good wish and hoped it would be possible for him to get together with the President on the broadest possible front. The President reverted to his bafflement that the Russians, as cruel and brutal as they are, can get away with murder, domination, etc. However, if we breach the smallest courtesy, the whole world is aflame. The only explanation he could give himself is that the West has been so successful in achieving high [Page 1099] standards of life that there is an unconscious jealousy on the part of the others.
Ambassador Caccia said the Prime Minister hoped that the United States would not forget its other two resolutions on the Middle East situation. The President said there was no thought of that, and that such would be tragic indeed. He felt that, if we get this matter settled, he would do a little to keep the area from being touched by the Soviets—specifically he would spend a lot of money to raise the standards of life of the people of the area.
… The President said it is necessary to think beyond a single battle such as the Suez seizure, to the campaign as a whole. We must have world opinion with us in the Middle East if we are to bring about acceptable conditions in that area.
Ambassador Caccia asked whether the President had further actions in mind in the Middle East. The President referred to the two committees which will seek to achieve permanent solutions, and his intent to help raise living standards in that area. He would insist that acceptance of our help means that the countries must cut themselves off from affiliation with Russia.
In response to a question as to our plans concerning phased withdrawal of UK-French forces, and entry of UN forces, the President said that as soon as the international police force begins to enter, others must leave. From that time forward any attack on the UN forces would be an attack on the UN as a whole.
In closing the President said he would look forward to a productive association with Ambassador Caccia.
Colonel, CE, U S Army
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Eisenhower Diaries. Secret. Drafted by Goodpaster.↩