Office of the Historian

148. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Secretary of State in Washington and the Ambassador in Lebanon (McClintock) in Beirut, July 16, 1958, 3:20 p.m.1

Beirut, July 16, 1958, 3:20 p.m.

TELEPHONE CALL TO AMB McCLINTOCK IN BEIRUT

The Sec said Murphy is flying out this p.m.2 M heard it on BBC and is delighted to have him. The Sec said he would be there a few days3 and can give M a better background than by cable. He will be helpful to get things straightened out and give M the fill-in of our thinking. M kept saying fine etc. The Sec said he will help with the cooperation with military people. M has fine cooperation with Holloway today. He is first class. He gave some details that are in 428.4 Everything is going so well. The Sec asked if there are any defections from the Army. M said Chehab told them Damascus was urging the rebels to rise and make a last attempt to form a new Lebanese govt but Chehab did not see any enthusiasm for the rebels to do that. The thing is well in hand. The Sec said we have great confidence in M and he is doing a wonderful job. Murphy will be there about noon tomorrow and M said he can stay with him. M said to tell Adm. Burke there is excellent cooperation between the Navy and Embassy.5

  1. Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations. Transcribed in the Secretary’s office by Phyllis D. Bernau. A note on the source text indicates that Dulles reported to Eisenhower on the conversation after he completed the call to McClintock.↩
  2. The decision to send Deputy Under Secretary Robert Murphy to Lebanon as the President’s Political Representative was taken at an 11 a.m. meeting with the President at the White House on July 16. The decision to send Murphy to Beirut to “establish better relations as among our own military and diplomatic people, Lebanese military, and the Lebanese government” was the first item of business in a meeting which ranged over the entire Middle Eastern crisis. (Memorandum of conference with the President; ibid.,Whitman File, Eisenhower Diaries; included in the microfiche supplement) A full record of this meeting is also scheduled for publication in volume XII.↩
  3. In a telephone conversation with Herter on July 16, Reinhardt stated that Murphy was only expected to remain in Beirut for a short time “to see how the relationship between the Ambassador and the military command there is working out and to pave the way for sending a political adviser to the military command if the decision is made to do it.” (Eisenhower Library, Herter Papers, Telephone Conversations) When Dulles discussed the mission with Murphy after the 11 a.m. meeting on July 16, he stressed Murphy’s liaison role, and indicated that Murphy would be “the top fellow” while he was there. Dulles felt that Murphy would probably spend about a week in Lebanon “as things will or won’t happen in that time and they should be in the right channel.” (Ibid., Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations; included in the microfiche supplement)↩
  4. Supra.↩
  5. Rountree explained Murphy’s mission to Malik in a meeting in Rountree’s office on July 16. Malik welcomed the U.S. intervention and Murphy’s mission, and stressed that the Marines should not be withdrawn from Lebanon until the entire regional situation improved. (Telegram 256 to Beirut, July 16; Department of State, Central Files, 783A.00/7–1658; included in the microfiche supplement)↩