Presidential Papers, Doc#1981 To John Foster Dulles, 8 September 1956. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower
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Document #1981; September 8, 1956
To John Foster Dulles
Series: EM, AWF, Dulles-Herter Series
The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XVII - The Presidency: The Middle Way
Part X: Cracks in the Alliance; May 1956 to September 1956
Chapter 21: "Grave difficulties in the Suez crisis"

 

Dear Foster: Here is a draft in reply to Anthony's letter that I have been preparing. The only usefulness it might have is in its attempt to destroy Anthony's apparent fixation that delay or long drawn out negotiations might result in catastrophe for Great Britain and the West.1

I am not even sure that it is worth while sending the document, but won't you look it over and send it back to me with any comments you may care to make?2 As ever

1 Eden had told Eisenhower that if the Suez committee failed to persuade Nasser to accept the London proposals, "and if the only alternative is to allow Nasser's plans quietly to develop until this country and all Western Europe are held at ransom by Egypt acting at Russia's behest it seems to us that our duty is plain. We have many times led Europe in the fight for freedom. It would be an ignoble end to our long history if we tamely accepted to perish by degrees" (Eden to Eisenhower, Sept. 6, 1956, AWF/I: Eden; see nos. 1932 and 1962 for background).

2 In the evening of this same day Dulles would discuss the draft with Eisenhower. To give the British and French "a stronger case for not resorting to force" Dulles suggested promoting the idea of an organization of canal users (later to be called the Suez Canal Users' Association) that would employ their own pilots and would allocate to Egypt a portion of the collected fees on a cost basis. He also proposed the announcement of alternative routes for moving oil to Western Europe and of the continuation of some economic measures against Egypt. Although Eisenhower agreed with Dulles, he believed "that world opinion inclined to side with Nasser . . . that since the Canal went through their territory, he was entitled to direct the operations" (Memorandum of Conversation, Sept. 8, 1956, Dulles Papers, White House Memoranda Series; see also Eisenhower, Waging Peace, pp. 49-51; and Telephone conversation, Eisenhower and Dulles, Sept. 7, 1956, Dulles Papers, Telephone Conversations; for Dulles's first thoughts on an association of canal users see State, Foreign Relations, 1955-1957, vol. XVI, Suez Crisis July 26-December 31, 1956, pp. 351-52, 365; see also Eden, Full Circle, pp. 515-19; and Lloyd, Suez, pp. 125-26). Eisenhower agreed to Dulles's suggestions, and the revised message, incorporating further changes by the President, was given to the British ambassador on this day for delivery to Prime Minister Eden (see the following document).

Bibliographic reference to this document:
Eisenhower, Dwight D. To John Foster Dulles, 8 September 1956. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 1981. World Wide Web facsimile by The Dwight D. Eisenhower Memorial Commission of the print edition; Baltimore, MD: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996, http://www.eisenhowermemorial.org/presidential-papers/first-term/documents/1981.cfm

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