611.41/6–1953
No. 416
Memorandum by the Under Secretary of
State (Smith) to the Secretary of
State
I have read the memoranda to you from Messrs. Merchant and Jernegan on US–British Relations in the Near and Far East.1
I agree with Mr. Merchant’s view that no durable relationship with Britain can be based on complete surrender to us on every [Page 994] point which Great Britain considers important to its security and world position, as well as with his view that in reaching jointly agreed policies with the British in the Middle East we should give greater weight than we have to their thesis.
On the other hand, I must record my agreement with Mr. Jernegan that the solution proposed by EUR is unattainable, and even if it were attainable is one which we ourselves could not accept. It is just as impossible that we should follow the British lead on all major Near Eastern problems as it is that they would be willing to follow ours on these relating to the Far East. The answer must lie, in the future as it has in the past, in certain compromises by both of us in each of the two areas concerned.2
- Document 414 and supra.↩
- The source text bears the handwritten notation “I agree with you J.F.D”.↩