S/ISA Files: Lot 52–26: “Israel”
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Special Assistant in the Bureau of Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs (Gardiner)
Subject: Israeli Request for Grant Aid Fiscal 1952
| Participants: | Mr. Linder—E |
| Mr. Stinebower—E | |
| Mr. Johnson—White House1 | |
| Mr. Meloy[?]— S/S | |
| Mr. Gardiner—NEA | |
| Mr. Lawton—Budget Bureau |
Mr. Lawton had requested the meeting to discuss what plans the Department might have to modify its presentation for economic assistance to the Near East in the light of the introduction of a bill in the House and the Senate to provide $150 million grant aid to Israel. The Department officials made it clear that no position had [Page 618] yet been taken by the Department, and that the matter was having the consideration of the Secretary. It was, however, the belief of the Department representatives present that the Department might wish to amend its presentation to the Budget Bureau to include larger increments of aid for Israel and the Arab states in a balanced program that would accord with a policy of impartiality toward the various countries concerned. Mr. Johnson requested that the matter be further reviewed at the staff level, but it was stated that such further consultation was probably not feasible until a position had been adopted by the Department.2
- Presumably Richard N. Johnson of the Office of the Special Assistant to the President.↩
- In a memorandum of a conversation held April 4 with Mr. Johnson, just subsequent to that above, Mr. Linder stated that “… Mr. Johnson again emphasized the desirability of keeping his office informed as our point of view developed, the purpose being to try to avoid the risk that the Department and the White House points of view would not run completely parallel.” (784A.5 MAP/4–451)↩