253. Memorandum of Discussion at the 333d Meeting of the National Security Council, Washington, August 1, 19571
[Here follow a paragraph listing the participants at the meeting and items 1–7.]
8. U.S. Policy toward Settlement of the Cyprus Dispute (Supplement to NSC 57182)
Mr. Cutler briefed the Council on the background of the statement of policy toward settlement of the Cyprus dispute (Supplement to NSC 5718). (A copy of Mr. Cutler’s briefing note is filed in the minutes of the meeting, together with part of his note on Greece.)
Mr. Cutler noted that the Joint Chiefs of Staff concurred in the Supplement to NSC 5718.
The President asked whether this was not an unusual type of paper for the National Security Council to consider. It appeared to him that the courses of action in the Cyprus Supplement consisted mostly of things the Department of State should do, Mr. Cutler said the Cyprus Supplement had been prepared primarily for the information of the Council. The Planning Board had felt it was difficult to talk about Greece without any mention of Cyprus.
Mr. Cutler then pointed out that there was a difference of opinion in the Planning Board on paragraph 12 of the Supplement, relating to U.S. participation in arrangements guaranteeing the interim or eventual status of Cyprus. Secretary Bowie said that it was conceivable that a guarantee arrangement might be concluded some time in the future, especially if the United States would participate. [Page 489] State was not asking that the NSC now approve U.S. participation in a guarantee, but had suggested paragraph 12 of the Supplement in order to alert the Council to the problem. He said State would be prepared to amend the wording of the paragraph so that the phrase “be prepared to give serious consideration to participating” would replace the phrase “be prepared to participate”.
The National Security Council: 3
- a.
- Discussed the draft statement of policy on the subject contained in the Supplement to NSC 5718, in the light of the views of the Joint Chiefs of Staff as reported at the meeting.
- b.
- Noted the suggestion by the Department of State that the last sentence of paragraph 12 of the Supplement to NSC 5718 be amended by revising the phrase “be prepared to participate” to read “be prepared to give serious consideration to participating”.
- c.
- Noted the President’s statement that the statement of policy contained in the Supplement to NSC 5718, as amended above, should be referred to the Secretary of State for his use in the conduct of future U.S. foreign relations with respect to the Cyprus dispute.
Note: The Supplement to NSC 5718, as amended by b above, subsequently referred to the Secretary of State pursuant to the President’s action in c above.
[Here follow items 9–10.]
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records. Top Secret; Eyes Only. Prepared by Gleason on August 2.↩
- Document 256. NSC 5718 is not printed, but see Document 307.↩
- Paragraphs a–c constitute NSC Action No. 1763. (Department of State, NSC Records of Action: Lot 66 D 95)↩