20. Editorial Note
Between July 29 and August 2, representatives of the Governments of the United States, France, and the United Kingdom met in London to discuss the Suez situation. Under Secretary Murphy headed the United States Delegation until the arrival of Secretary Dulles on August 1; Foreign Minister Pineau headed the French Delegation; and Foreign Secretary Lloyd served as chief British spokesman. During this period, there were eight formal tripartite meetings and several informal bipartite meetings. The British Foreign Office prepared summary records of the eight formal meetings and at least one of the bipartite meetings. Department of State Conference Files: Lot 62 D 181, contain copies of British documents entitled “Record of Meeting …” (hereafter referred to as “Record”), copies of Department of State telegrams sent to and from the United States Delegation at London, and other records, including chronologies, kept by the United States Delegation. Additional documentation is ibid., Central Files 396.1–LO and 974.7301.
Following his return to Washington on August 3, Secretary Dulles requested that the Department prepare an American record of the Conference and the task was assigned, under the general supervision of Burdett, to the Department’s Historical Division. In preparing the American record, the Historical Division made use of: (1) telegraphic reports from the United States representatives in London; (2) memoranda prepared by members of the United States Delegation; (3) papers circulated among the delegations; and (4) the British records of the eight formal tripartite meetings and one bipartite meeting. A copy of the study entitled, “The London Tripartite Conversations on the Suez Canal, July 29–August 2, 1956” (hereafter referred to as “London Tripartite Conversations”), is ibid., Conference Files: Lot 62 D 181, CF 724. The introduction to the study states that “supplemental British material has been checked by officials of the Department in attendance at the London meetings.” The introduction also contains the caveat that “the lists of participants given for respective meetings are in many cases incomplete for the British and French Delegations.”