CONTINUED U.S. INTEREST IN THE ARAB-ISRAELI DISPUTE; U.S. DIFFERENCES WITH SAUDI ARABIA OVER ISRAELI TRANSIT THROUGH THE GULF OF AQABA; RETROSPECTION ON THE ASWAN DAM DECISION; U.S. REEXAMINATION OF THE PALESTINE REFUGEE QUESTION; ANGLO-AMERICAN DISCUSSIONS; U.N. CONSIDERATION OF MATTERS PERTAINING TO UNRWA, THE FINANCING OF UNEF, AND REPAYMENT FOR CLEARENCE OF THE SUEZ CANAL, MAY 14–DECEMBER 31
327. Memorandum From the Under Secretary of State (Herter) to the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs (Wilcox)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 320.511/5–1057. Confidential.
328. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Secretary of State and the Director of Central Intelligence (Dulles), Washington, May 15, 1957, 6:25 p.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Bernau. A marginal notation on the source text by the Secretary’s Special Assistant, Richard D. Drain, reads: “Relayed to Howe in detail and Norm Paul (CIA/LC) in general 16 May.”
In a memorandum to Dulles sent earlier on May 15, Drain indicated that the CIA had learned from a member of the House Appropriations Special Subcommittee that Chairman Cannon intended to raise the charge of an intelligence failure, connected with the events of the previous autumn, during subcommittee hearings on the CIA budget scheduled for the following week. Drain also expressed his belief that Allen Dulles was not being pressed to produce a letter similar to the one drafted on May 2 (see attachment to Document 314), a copy of which Drain attached to his memorandum, but would perhaps benefit from a short letter from the Secretary indicating that “intelligence was satisfactory but official notification was non-existent”. Drain recommended that Dulles discuss the matter with Allen Dulles. A marginal notation on Drain’s memorandum by Macomber reads: “Sec called AWD—agreed skip the ltr.” (Department of State, Central Files, 711.5280/5-1757)
329. Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission at the United Nations
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 683.84A/5–1357. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by Gamon and Sisco; cleared by Bergus and L/UNA; and approved by Wilcox. Walmsley signed the telegram for Dulles.
330. Memorandum From the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs (Walmsley) to the Secretary of State
Source: Department of State, NEA/IAI Files: Lot 69 D 488, Suez Canal–United Nations Efforts for Settlement Canal Problems. Confidential. Drafted by Sisco; concurred in by Dillon. Tabs A, B, and C are not attached to the source text.
333. Letter From the Secretary of State to Senator J. William Fulbright
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 874.2614/5–2957. Secret. Drafted by Stabler on May 28. The letter was written in response to a letter from Fulbright to Dulles of May 22, in which Fulbright raised additional questions concerning documentation on U.S. policy and the Aswan High Dam. (Ibid., 780.00/5–2257) Regarding the Senate request of January 29 for Department of State documentation concerning U.S. policy in the Middle East, see Document 44.
On May 29, Rountree forwarded the letter printed here to Dulles for his signature. In the covering memorandum, Rountree advised: “in general there are no additional documents which should be made available to Senator Fulbright in connection with the Committees’ consideration of the Aswan Dam negotiations. The questions which have been raised touch upon other subjects, such as the Soviet arms deal with Egypt, and must be considered in the light of the atmosphere of that particular period which is not spelled out in these particular documents but which presumably will be spelled out in the documents for the years 1954, 1955, and 1956. We consider that it would be unwise to make available additional documents dealing with events not immediately connected with the Aswan Dam negotiations out of their chronological order.” Rountree concluded that it would be best to respond to Fulbright in the form of “an authoritative written statement”. (Ibid.)
334. Telegram From the Embassy in Egypt to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 774.11/5–2057. Secret; Noforn. Received at 4:47 p.m., June 1. Repeated to London, Paris, Moscow, Amman, Baghdad, Beirut, Damascus, Jidda, and Tel Aviv.
335. Telegram From the Mission at the United Nations to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 884.411/6–557. Confidential; Priority. Received at 1:36 p.m.
336. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, June 11, 1957
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 980.74/6–1157. Confidential. Drafted by Bergus.
337. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, June 12, 1957
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 980.74/6–1257. Confidential. Drafted by Newsom on June 17.
338. Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission at the United Nations
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 884.411/6–557. Confidential. Drafted by Gamon, Burdett, and Ludlow; cleared by Rountree and Walmsley; and approved by Dulles.
339. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, June 14, 1957
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 980.74/6–1457. Secret. Drafted by Bergus on June 17.
340. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Egypt
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 774.11/5–2957. Secret. Drafted by Stabler, Burdett, Mathews, and Dulles; approved in draft by Dulles; and approved by Rountree who signed for Dulles.
342. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, June 20, 1957
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 784A.5–MSP/6–2057. Confidential. Drafted by George M. Bennsky, an international economist attached to the Office of Near Eastern Affairs, on June 21.
343. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Rountree) to the Deputy Under Secretary of State for Economic Affairs (Dillon)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 784A.5–MSP/6–2057. Confidential. Drafted by Bergus.
344. Memorandum From the Acting Deputy Legal Adviser (Meeker) to the Secretary of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 874.26/4–2057. Confidential.
345. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, June 24, 1957
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 784A.5/6–2457. Confidential. Drafted by Bergus.
346. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Rountree) to the Secretary of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 980.74/6–2457. Secret. Drafted by Newsom on June 21. A handwritten notation on the source text by Bernau reads: “Sec saw”. Becker concurred in the memorandum and Sisco cleared it provisionally.
348. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the President and the Secretary of State, Washington, June 27, 1957, 7:09 p.m.
Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, White House Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Bernau.
349. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for International Organization Affairs (Wilcox) and the Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Rountree) to the Secretary of State and the Under Secretary of State (Herter)
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 320.51/7–257. Secret. Drafted by Ludlow, Bergus, Sisco, and Gamon.
During a meeting called to discuss this memorandum, Dulles appointed Herter’s special assistant, Henry S. Villard, to explore the Palestine refugee problem along the lines contained in the memorandum. (Memorandum from Howe to Macomber, July 29; ibid., 784.00/7–2957) Villard’s report, entitled “Palestine Refugee Problem, Villard Study, 1957–58”, comprises 58 documents pertaining to the refugee question which date from July 2, 1957 to May 7, 1958. The memorandum of July 2 and its nine attachments are item No. 1 of the report, which is ibid., 320.51/7–257.
350. Telegram From the Embassy in Egypt to the Department of State
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 774.11/7–257. Secret; Noforn. Received at 2:23 a.m., July 3. Repeated to Baghdad, Amman, Beirut, Bonn, Damascus, Jidda, London, Moscow, Paris, Rabat, Tel Aviv, Tripoli, Tunis, and Khartoum.
351. Memorandum of a Conversation, Secretary Dulles’ Office, Department of State, Washington, July 2, 1957, 3:10 p.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 980.74/7–357. Secret. Drafted on July 3 by Joseph H. Cunningham, an international affairs officer in the Department of State.
352. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, July 3, 1957, 11 a.m.
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 980.74/7–357. Secret. Drafted by Newsom on July 8.
354. Message From President Eisenhower to King Saud
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/7–1057. Secret. Transmitted to the Embassy in Jidda in telegram 49, July 10, which is the source text.
Newsom prepared the original draft of this letter, which Dulles transmitted to Eisenhower on July 9. Eisenhower rewrote the final paragraph of the letter and otherwise approved the draft on July 10; see supra and footnote 3 below.
355. Aide-Mémoire From the Department of State to the Saudi Arabian Embassy
Source: Department of State, Central Files, 980.74/7–1257. Secret. Newsom prepared the original draft of this aide-mémoire, which Dulles transmitted to Eisenhower on July 9. Eisenhower approved the draft on July 10 except for the paragraph containing the fourth U.S. suggestion. For a summary of the subsequent discussion concerning the wording of this paragraph, see Document 353.
Rountree handed the Aide-Mémoire to Azzam Pasha on July 12. During the discussion that followed Azzam asked Rountree what the U.S. position was concerning the notice which a vessel might properly give a coastal sovereign when passing through its territorial waters and whether the sovereign had the right of search. Becker responded that the right to ask for notice did not, in the U.S. view, imply a right of search. Azzam also expressed the hope that the United States would not press the legal aspects of the problem, as practicalities required some liberality in the legal concepts involved. (Memorandum of conversation by Newsom, July 12; Department of State, Central Files, 980.74/7–1257)
356. Notes of the Secretary of State’s Staff Meeting, Department of State, Washington, July 18, 1957, 9:15 a.m.
Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Staff Meetings: Lot 63 D 75. Secret. The source text does not indicate a drafting officer.