291. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the Secretary of State in New York and the Under Secretary of State (Herter) in Washington, August 23, 1958, 11 a.m.1
TELEPHONE CALL FROM MR HERTER
They mentioned the cables in from Amman.2 Sec. said he did not think we could keep that show going. We had to have an orderly and honorable evolution. To maintain this citadel is not profitable and the Sec. said he did not think we could succeed even if we spent all this money. Herter agreed. The Sec. said we must concentrate on the peripheral areas—Lebanon, Tunisia, Libya, Sudan (if willing to stand up), and Ethiopia. Sec. said it would be difficult to maintain in the heart of the Arab world. Herter said he wondered if we could send someone out there to talk with him (Hammarskjold). He mentioned Dick Berry. He was going to work out the withdrawal of troops. The Sec. said there was no need of his doing that. He knows basically our situation and our point of view there. Sec. said he did hope this situation could be sustained for at least a six-month period. Sec. said he told Fawzi they would have to help do it. If this thing would collapse it would make everyone look like fools, including him. Fawzi said he would send a cable to Cairo. Herter said Cairo had stopped mentioning it.
[Here follows discussion of negotiations relating to nuclear testing.]