89. Memorandum of a Conversation With the President. White House, Washington, February 10, 19561
OTHERS PRESENT
- Mr. Eric Johnston
- Colonel Goodpaster
The President asked whether it is correct in Mr. Johnston’s view to say with regard to the Jordan River plan that the technical [Page 162] features have been agreed on, and that it is now held up for political reasons. Mr. Johnston said that this summary is correct. In October the Arabs agreed to the technical features, but did not want to put the plan into effect, or announce agreement. In one country the officials said they were all likely to be assassinated if they made such an announcement. Israel also agreed on the technical features. Sharrett and Ben-Gurion withdrew one strongly held objection which they had previously held. They too blocked its adoption for political reasons.
Mr. Johnston said that Colonel Nasser had asked for a “few months” to settle the differences. On being pressed, Nasser had indicated that three or four months from last November should meet his needs. In the meantime, however, the Israeli raid on Syria in December had inflamed Arab opinion. The situation is accordingly made more difficult. He added that he is not pressing in the matter at the moment, inasmuch as a special American emissary is working for a more general settlement in the area. He felt, however, that economic and technical projects of this kind are likely to prove the more fruitful, and thought that if the U.S. put on the pressure in the next few months it might well be possible to get agreement. Mr. Johnston then told the President about the trip he is making to the Far East—in which he will visit Japan, the Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand and India. He said he would like to give personal greetings from the President to the top people he sees there. The President said he might mention that he had seen the President just before he left and that the President had asked him to convey his warm greetings.
- Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Eisenhower Diaries. Drafted by Goodpaster.↩