Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Western European Integration and Security, Canada, Volume VII, Part 1

306. Telegram From the Embassy in Canada to the Department of State⁰

Ottawa, September 6, 1959, 3 p.m.

158. Reference: London’s 35 to Ottawa, Cahto 8, September l,¹ and Embtels 150,155, and 157.² Following message for President from Prime Minister delivered to Embassy 12:30 p.m. EDST, September 6, 1959.

“Dear Ike, I thank you for your personal message in regard to the proposed NORAD exercise Skyhawk. I immediately took it up with my colleagues in the cabinet and we gave it full and extensive consideration. That afternoon I asked our Secretary of State for External Affairs to inform your Ambassador that we felt unable to alter the conclusion we had reached earlier that it would be unwise to proceed with the exercise.

“Mr. Green explained to Ambassador Wigglesworth,³ as I had previously, our deep concern over the possibility that an exercise carried out at the particular time and on the scale planned would lead to a widespread assumption that it had been by extraordinary circumstances and that public opinion in Canada would become unduly alarmed and find it difficult to understand the need for carrying out a military exercise requiring the grounding of all civil aircraft at a time when, as a result of your initiative in exchanging visits with Mr. Khrushchev, there is an expectation of some improvement in east-west relations. My colleagues and I are also very much concerned that the true purpose of the exercise would be misinterpreted by the Soviet leaders at this particular juncture as a means of exerting pressure.

“It was with these considerations in mind, Mr. President, that I suggested that your military advisers might consider how the exercise could be modified so as to avoid the need to disrupt civil air traffic over North America. While fully realizing the importance of maintaining strong and efficient defences, the foregoing considerations impel me to ask that you will entertain this suggestion favourably. With warm regards, John.”⁴

Canadian classification foregoing is Secret.

Wigglesworth

0. Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File. Secret; Priority; Presidential Handling. A notation on the source text indicates it was seen by the President.
1. Document 305.
2. None printed.
3. On September 2, Ambassador Wigglesworth telephoned Dillon at 5:40 p.m. to say that he had spent an hour with Green “and didn’t get any place” with regard to proceeding with Skyhawk. (Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D199)
4. On September 15, President Eisenhower replied that Sky hawk could not proceed without the grounding of civilian aircraft and informed Diefenbaker that he felt obliged to cancel the exercise. He expressed the hope that at some future date it could be run. (ibid., Central Files, 742.54/9–659)