Office of the Historian

50. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Among the Secretary of State, the President’s Press Secretary (Hagerty), and the President’s Staff Secretary (Goodpaster), Washington, May 13, 1958, 5:14 p.m.1

Washington, May 13, 1958, 5:14 p.m.

TELEPHONE CALL TO GEN GOODPASTER (HAGERTY ON TOO)

The Sec said we have just finished talking with Rubottom at the Emb and the situation is improved. The Sec is inclined to think we should go ahead with at least some part of the troop movement. You can’t tell what will happen although he thinks the danger is over. He does not think it does harm for us to react in this way. H agreed. It is healthy to have it known we have the will and capacity. H said the Navy said they are beginning to get queries. The Sec said we should make a statement—that it is being done as a precautionary move. We don’t think it will be necessary to land them but in view of the instability of the situation it seems appropriate for us to do this. The Sec reported Snow is worried but is satisfied if we say it is a precautionary move designed to cooperate with the Ven Govt if it thinks it [Page 232] necessary. He will try to work out something like that with Snyder and they agreed Navy would make statement. H said he wanted the same language as he would be getting queries.

  1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, White House Telephone Conversations. Transcribed by Bernau.↩