148. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the President and the Secretary of State, Washington, February 25, 1957, 4:33 p.m.1
TELEPHONE CALL TO THE PRESIDENT
The Sec said the word from NY is not very good. The Pres said oh gosh. The Sec said Lodge called2 and the Sec called Hammarskjold3 and H said at least as far as Gaza is concerned Israel is taking the position they will not be satisfied with a de facto UN adm with the acquiescence of Egypt but there must be a formal termination of all of Egypt’s rights in the Strip which they have and the Sec does not see any chance in the world which will properly compel them to renounce. They have said they would acquiesce in UN adm. The Sec told re Rountree calling Shiloah to define their position. Eban said that is what they would like to have but not a sine qua non. The Sec said to [Page 273] Eban he would not think they would want to claim the GA would have the right to require parties of the Armistice to give up their rights because that could operate against you and he made no reply. The See’s feeling was when they left they would like all they could get but would accept a de facto adm. The Sec said we have been operating all the way through on the basis of Egypt’s acquiescence. The Pres said Gaza has never been ceded to Egypt and has never been part of it so not the same as lower Sinai. The report Hammarskjold made to the UN re putting troops in—that has been approved by res? The Sec said no—it was done under a res and was a report to the GA by the Sec Gen as to his activities and some of the things he was doing under the res. The Pres said there has to be a lot in one res to get anything— something everyone would be pretty well for without losing face even though they don’t like one part of it—condemn Israel—what has been done etc. Now say in the future something else will happen but don’t know if anything like that has been done—but don’t know why they could not. It seems funny the whole world is balked by 2 little countries worrying re local prestige etc. and other countries torn by troubles have to take this and make it their major business and get nothing else done. The Sec said he would let him know if there is anything further. Meanwhile the Sec thinks we have to prepare to take a position at the UN. It would be difficult to postpone the debate.
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, White House Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Bernau.↩
- Lodge telephoned Dulles at 3:51 p.m. that day. The memorandum of telephone conversation by Bernau is ibid., General Telephone Conversations.↩
- Dulles telephoned Hammarskjöld at 4 p.m. that day. The memorandum of telephone conversation by Bernau is ibid.↩