86. Message From the Secretary of State to the President1
Dear Mr. President: I have had a busy first day.2 I met with Selwyn Lloyd at the Foreign Office and then had lunch with Anthony and Pineau at 10 Downing Street. The atmosphere on the whole is much more composed than two weeks ago. There is I think a growing realization of the magnitude of the task of military intervention and of the inadequacies of their military establishments to take on a real fighting job of this size. Ambassador Dillon, who is here, tells me that the French are beginning to be quite sobered by their military inadequacy.3 I do not mean to imply that they may not take the plunge if things go badly here, but they are much less apt to do so than two weeks ago. Also the domestic opposition has been growing.
After lunch I met successively with Foreign Minister Martino of Italy, Foreign Minister Artajo of Spain, Foreign Minister Shepilov of the Soviet Union and Krishna Menon of India.4 I had good talks with the first three. Menon was unusually vague and little emerged except his desire to act as intermediary between the Western powers and Egypt.
Both Martino and Artajo are prepared to take a much less measure [sic] of international participation in operations than seems to the British, French and ourselves to be essential if there is to be any really effective assurance of efficient and impartial operation.
The talk with Shepilov was the most interesting. He made a very frank and orderly presentation of the problem and of his country’s position. It was the best statement I have ever received [Page 211] from any Soviet Foreign Minister. He made clear that his government was disposed to support the Egyptian view that there could not be any active international role in operations, but he indicated that he would like to try to work with US for some positive solution. A summary of our talk is being cabled to the Department and the full text is being pouched. Either or both might be worth your looking at.5
The Conference proper starts tomorrow. Probably Selwyn Lloyd will be permanent chairman because he seems desperately to want it and because no one wants to seem discourteous in opposing it. Probably we shall have considerable trouble over the rules of procedure which are a bit on the tight side. We may thus not get down to the merits until Friday6—where the lines will be rather sharply drawn between those who are willing to rely upon Egyptian promises with some theoretical right of appeal to an international body, perhaps the UN, and the US–UK–French view that there should be actual international operation of the Canal so as to assure it will be non-political in character. At the moment it looks as though the former view has the majority, but it is too soon to forecast with any confidence.
Faithfully yours,
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/8–1556. Secret. Transmitted to the Department of State in Dulte 1 from Paris, 1 a.m., which is the source text, with the instruction “Eyes only Acting Secretary for President from Secretary”. Dulte 1 was received at 11:15 p.m. A copy is in the Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles–Herter Series.↩
- August 15.↩
- In telegram 771 from Paris, August 13, Ambassador Dillon informed the Department of State that during a conversation, French Defense Minister Bourgès-Maunoury had stressed the difficulty of the military problem faced by the French and British. The Defense Minister had noted that the British had not yet decided whether the objective of the campaign should be to seize the Canal or to occupy Egypt. He added that the British had no aircraft capable of operating over Egypt from Cyprus modern enough to challenge Soviet MIGs. (Department of State, Central Files, 974.7301/8–1356)↩
- Secto 3 from London, August 16, contains an account of Dulles’ separate conversations with Martino and Artajo. (Ibid., 974.7301/8–1656) Secto 2 from London, August 16, contains a brief account of Dulles’ conversation with Menon. (Ibid.) Separate memoranda of the three conversations are ibid., Conference Files: Lot 62 D 181, CF 745.↩
- A copy of Secto 6 from London, supra, is in the Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles–Herter Series; but it bears no indication as to whether Eisenhower read it.↩
- August 17.↩
- Dulte 1 bears this typed signature.↩