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  4. Document 281

281. Memorandum From the Assistant Secretary of State for Policy Planning (Smith) to the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Elbrick)1

Washington , September 12, 1958.

SUBJECT

  • Algeria

The Staff and I have discussed the Algerian problem at some length in the light of Mr. Jova’s memorandum of August 21 (forwarded for S/P consideration under cover of Mr. Long’s memorandum [Page 642] of September 2) and the instructions to our UNGA delegation2 on which we understand EUR and IO agreed earlier this week.

Despite the dilemmas and dangers involved in pursuing any of the alternative courses of action which we explored, it seems clear that we accept very dangerous risks if we continue to temporize with the status quo or if we accept and support the announced French position that Algeria is an improper subject for consideration by the UNGA. We think Algeria will be a principal focus of Soviet/Afro-Asian effort within the UNGA. In view of our difficulties in the Middle East and the fact that Tunisia and Morocco have now joined the Arab League, we are convinced that we can no longer temporize on Algeria, or support a French position that Algeria is an internal matter, without further prejudicing ourselves in the anti-colonial world and gravely weakening our influence in the Arab world. We believe such a course on our part would at a minimum gravely prejudice our base rights in Morocco, Libya and Saudi Arabia.

We lean very definitely to the view that the situation is so serious that we should, in concert with the British, discuss it with DeGaulle. We think some initiative in the matter, either through talks with DeGaulle or along the lines of the Julius Holmes’ proposals of last winter,3 is required, especially since the French have now announced that they will not participate in UNGA consideration of the problem.

  1. Source: Department of State, PPS Files: Lot 67 D 548. Secret. Drafted by Henry C. Ramsey. Copies were sent to Wilcox and Satterthwaite.↩
  2. Jova’s memorandum has not been found. A copy of the position paper on Algeria given to the delegation to the 13th U.N. General Assembly is ibid., IO Files: Lot 71 D 440.↩
  3. See Document 269.↩