273. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Secretary of State in New York and the Under Secretary of State (Herter) in Washington, August 15, 1958, 1:04 p.m.1
The Sec said there will be a meeting at 3 in the SYG’s office which will be important in formulating the res. Norway has weakened. The statement made by Jordan2 shook things badly. The SYG said he would not undertake to do anything for Jordan if in advance they say they won’t accept the means necessary to accomplish the result. That has shaken the people and has created the suspicion which the Sec thinks is unjustified this is cooked up between England and Jordan. He thinks the British are eager to get out. There are two critical points—try to get the Jordan Govt to change its position and they want a date for withdrawal put in. We can’t accept it. The Pres. mentioned it in his speech and the Sec said something re repeating the formulation. H agreed. The Sec said we must put the heat on Jordan. The Sec thinks Hussein is putting the heat on us to give the additional batallions. H said the Br have been weak on it. It is a saber-rattling performance.
[Here follows discussion of disarmament and Cyprus.]
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, General Telephone Conversations. Transcribed in New York by Phyllis D. Bernau. Dulles placed the call to Herter.↩
- The head of the Jordanian Delegation, Abdul Monem Rifai, addressed the General Assembly on August 14 and called on the United Nations to take the measures necessary to ensure Jordan’s safety and independence. He said, however, that Jordan would oppose the dispatch of a U.N. force or observers to be stationed in Jordan or to guard its frontiers. (U.N. doc. A/PV.735)↩