238. Editorial Note
On July 28, Chairman Khrushchev addressed a third letter to President Eisenhower urging a meeting of the heads of government of the Soviet Union, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, and India to consider the crisis in the Middle East. Khrushchev characterized Eisenhower’s July 25 response to his second letter as an effort to delay the conference and prevent the adoption of measures leading to the withdrawal of United States and British forces from Lebanon and Jordan. Khrushchev alleged that the United States had backed away from an initial agreement on a heads of government meeting within the framework of the Security Council. He stated that the Soviet Union was still prepared for a conference under auspices arranged by the Secretary-General, but added that he preferred President De Gaulle’s suggestion that a heads of government meeting take place in Europe rather than at the United Nations. He offered, if need be, to [Page 407] host the meeting in Moscow, but insisted that an early meeting was an urgent necessity, and asked for a rapid reply to his letter. The text of the letter was conveyed to the Embassy in Moscow on July 28 and transmitted to the Department in telegram 264 from Moscow, July 28. (Department of State, Presidential Correspondence: Lot 66 D 204) The full text is printed in Department of State Bulletin, August 18, 1958, pages 275–277, and excerpts are printed in American Foreign Policy: Current Documents, 1958, pages 1003–1005.