Referral of the Middle East Item to the U.N. General Assembly; the European Oil Supply Problem and the Activation of the Middle East Emergency Committee’s Plan; Anglo-French Decision to Withdraw Forces from the Suez Canal Zone, November 7–December 4


535. Message From Prime Minister Eden to President Eisenhower

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File. Secret. Delivered to the White House under cover of a note from Coulson to President Eisenhower which reads: “The Prime Minister has asked me to give you the enclosed personal message.”


536. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between President Eisenhower in Washington and Prime Minister Eden in London, November 7, 1956, 8:43 a.m.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Eisenhower Diaries. Prepared in the Office of the President.


537. Telegram From the Embassy in France to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 320.5780/11–756. Secret; Niact. Received at 8:46 a.m. Repeated Niact to USUN, Priority to London, and to Cairo. Fisher Howe forwarded a copy of this telegram to Hoover on November 7, under cover of a memorandum which summarized the subjects on which the French wished U.S. cooperation and which noted that Dillon supported cooperation. (Ibid.)


538. Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between President Eisenhower in Washington and Prime Minister Eden in London, November 7, 1956, 9:55 a.m.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Eisenhower Diaries. Prepared in the Office of the President. A copy of this transcript and transcripts of other conversations between the White House and Eden’s office which took place on November 7 are ibid., ACW Diary.


539. Memorandum for the Record by the President’s Staff Secretary (Goodpaster)

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Eisenhower Diaries.


540. Transcript of a Telephone Conversation Between President Eisenhower in Washington and Prime Minister Eden in London, November 7, 1956, 10:27 a.m.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Eisenhower Diaries. Prepared in the Office of the President.


541. Memorandum by the Director of the Executive Secretariat (Howe)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 774/11–756. Secret.


542. Memorandum of a Conversation, Secretary Dulles’ Room, Walter Reed Hospital, Washington, November 7, 1956, 11:10 a.m.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Dulles Papers, Meetings with the President. Top Secret. Drafted by Macomber.


545. Message From President Eisenhower to Prime Minister Eden

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/11–756. Secret. Transmitted to London in telegram 3318, November 7, 2:58 p.m, which is the source text, with the instruction: “Please deliver soonest following message from President to Eden. Confirm date and time delivery.” Telegram 3318 also informed the Embassy that the Department would elaborate further on the Gruenther mission in a subsequent message. Telegram 2573 from London, November 7, reported that the message was delivered at 11:15 p.m. to Eden’s secretary. (Ibid., 711.11–EI/11–756)

A similar message was transmitted to Paris in telegram 1725, November 7, for delivery to Mollet. (Ibid., 320.5774/11–756)


546. Informal Summary of a Meeting Held in Acting Secretary Hoover’s Office, Department of State, Washington, November 7, 1956, 3:45 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 974.7301/11–756. Top Secret. Drafted by Greene.


547. Telegram From the Mission at the United Nations to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 974.7301/11–756. Secret; Priority. Received at 5:12 p.m.


548. Message From Prime Minister Eden to President Eisenhower

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File. Top Secret. Delivered to the White House under cover of a note from Coulson to President Eisenhower which reads: “The Prime Minister has asked me to send you the enclosed message.”


549. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the President and the Acting Secretary of State, Washington, November 7, 1956, 5:30 p.m.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Eisenhower Diaries. Prepared in the Office of the President. The source text does not indicate who placed the call.


550. Message From President Eisenhower to Prime Minister Ben Gurion

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/11–756. Confidential. Transmitted to Tel Aviv in telegram 482, November 7, 6:52 p.m., which is the source text, with the instruction: “Please deliver soonest following message from the President to Prime Minister Ben Gurion. Confirm date and time delivery.” A copy of the message was handed to Shiloah during a meeting with Hoover at 6:15; see infra . The Israeli Embassy later informed the Department of State that as of 2 a.m., Washington time, the message had not yet been delivered to Ben Gurion. The Israeli Embassy subsequently cabled to Jerusalem the text of the message handed to Shiloah. (Memorandum of conversation by Blackiston, November 8; Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/11–856)


551. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, November 7, 1956, 6:15 p.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/11–756. Confidential. Drafted by Bergus on November 8. A summary of the major points made by Hoover to Shiloah at this meeting was transmitted to Tel Aviv in telegram 255, November 7. (Ibid., 684A.86/11–756)


552. Circular Telegram From the Department of State to Certain Diplomatic Missions

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/11–756. Secret; Niact. Drafted and approved by Rountree who signed for Hoover. Sent to Beirut, Cairo, Baghdad, Damascus, Amman, and Jidda. Repeated to Tel Aviv and USUN.


553. Memorandum of a Conversation, Secretary-General Hammarskjöld’s Office, U.N. Secretariat Building, New York, November 7, 1956, 10 p.m.

Source: Department of State, INR Files: Lot 58 D 776, Middle East Crisis 1956 (Arab-Israeli Crisis). Secret. Drafted by Armstrong.


554. Memorandum of Discussion at the 303d Meeting of the National Security Council, Washington, November 8, 1956, 9–11:25 a.m.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records. Prepared by Gleason on November 9. The time of the meeting is from the record of the President’s Daily Appointments. (Ibid.) A talking paper prepared in the Bureau of Near Eastern, South Asian, and African Affairs and forwarded to Hoover by Rountree on November 7 for use at this meeting is in Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/11–756.


555. Memorandum for the Secretary of State’s Special Assistant for Intelligence (Armstrong)

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 974.7301/11–856. Secret. Transmitted to the Department of State under cover of a memorandum from Gordon M. Stewart of the Central Intelligence Agency to Armstrong, November 8, which reads in part:

“1. Attached is a message from Cairo reporting statements made by Muhammad Haykal … .

“2. It is requested that this report be brought to the immediate attention of the Secretary of State, Undersecretary Hoover, and Mr. Rountree.” A handwritten notation on the covering memorandum indicates that Hoover saw the memorandum at the NSC meeting, presumably on November 8.


556. Memorandum by the President

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Eisenhower Diaries. No drafting officer is indicated on the source text, but in Waging Peace (pp. 96–97), Eisenhower acknowledged authorship and quoted extensively from the memorandum.


557. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, November 8, 1956, 10:45 a.m.

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.84A/11–856. Confidential. Drafted by Bergus on November 9. The time of the meeting is from a memorandum from Rountree to Hoover, November 8. (Ibid., 784A.13/11–856)


558. Memorandum of a Telephone Conversation Between the President and the Secretary of the Treasury (Humphrey), Washington, November 8, 1956, 3:15 p.m.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Eisenhower Diaries. Prepared in the Office of the President.


559. Memorandum of a Conversation, Department of State, Washington, November 8, 1956

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 674.84A/11–856. Confidential. Drafted by Bergus on November 9.


560. Message From Prime Minister Ben Gurion to President Eisenhower

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, International File. Eban handed the text of this message to Hoover during their conversation on November 8; see supra .


561. Telegram From the Embassy in Egypt to the Department of State

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 320.5780.11–856. Received at 1:38 a.m., November 10. A marginal notation by Goodpaster on a copy in the Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Dulles–Herter Series reads: “Noted by President 12 Nov. 56”.


562. Memorandum of a Conference With the President, White House, Washington, November 9, 1956, 8:45 a.m.

Source: Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, Eisenhower Diaries. Secret. Drafted by Goodpaster.


563. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Egypt

Source: Department of State, Central Files, 320.5780/11–956. Secret. Drafted by Wilkins, approved by Hoover, and signed by Greene for Hoover.