Presidential Papers, Doc#1302 Cable. Top secret To John George Diefenbaker, 1 September 1959. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower
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Document #1302; September 1, 1959
To John George Diefenbaker
Series: EM, AWF, International Series: Canada ; Category: Cable. Top secret
The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, Volume XX - The Presidency: Keeping the Peace
Part VII: Berlin and the Chance for a Summit; March 1959 to August 1959
Chapter 18: "These extremist approaches"

 

Dear John: Since leaving Washington I learned of the decision of your Government to withhold its approval for the air defense exercise known as Sky Hawk which had been scheduled for early next month.1 As I am sure you have been told, I personally reviewed and approved the military training plans last month before the formal approval of the Canadian Government was requested.2 It seems to me of great importance to both of us that the defense of our continent should be maintained in good order. The purpose of exercises such as Sky Hawk is to give ourselves realistic assurance on this score. I do not myself see anything provocative in such a defensive exercise, and from the point of view of my coming talks with Mr. Khrushchev, they should have no adverse effect. Indeed, the knowledge on his part and ours that we are determined and able to resist an attack certainly tends to provide an essential foundation for serious and, I hope, productive discussions.3

I do hope, therefore, that you will again consider your decision in the light of these thoughts.4

With warm regard, Sincerely

1 The President sent this message to Canadian Prime Minister Diefenbaker from London, where he had stopped during his tour of Europe (for background see no. 1276). The Canadian embassy had notified the State Department on August 28 that plans to proceed with operation Sky Hawk were "unwise" at this time. Diefenbaker had objected to the late date on which he received information regarding the project, and the Canadian government had criticized the U.S. military for making decisions "which are shoved down throats of Canadian civil officials" (State, Foreign Relations, vol. VII, pt. 1, Western European Integration and Security; Canada, pp. 763 - 66).

2 The President had approved the exercise on August 5 (ibid., p. 765).

3 Canadian officials believed that grounding civil air transport while Soviet Premier Khrushchev was in the United States could be interpreted by the Soviets as "provocative" (ibid.). Khrushchev would visit the United States September 15 - 27 (see nos. 1276 and 1326).

4 For developments see no. 1314.

Bibliographic reference to this document:
Eisenhower, Dwight D. Cable. Top secret To John George Diefenbaker, 1 September 1959. In The Papers of Dwight David Eisenhower, ed. L. Galambos and D. van Ee, doc. 1302. 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/second-term/documents/1302.cfm

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