Office of the Historian

172. Note Prepared by Roger G. Sturgill of the Executive Secretariat1

Washington, December 18, 1956.

SUBJECT

  • Joint Resolution on the Middle East—Chronology

At a meeting in Mr. Murphy’s office on December 14, the texts of two drafts2 were discussed by Mr. Murphy, Mr. Henderson, Mr. Phleger, and Mr. Berry. I understand that one of the drafts was prepared by NEA and the other by Mr. Phleger.

As a result of this meeting, the two drafts with minor changes were sent to the Secretary on Saturday, under cover of a memorandum from Mr. Murphy.3 On Sunday, at 6:00 PM at the Secretary’s house, another meeting was held for the purpose of producing a final text. However, I understand that the Secretary asked Mr. Phleger to submit another draft. He did so on Monday, December 17, and it was discussed at a meeting in the Secretary’s office at 4:15 PM that day, which was attended by Secretary Wilson, Admiral Radford, and Assistant Secretaries Robertson and Gray; and the Secretary, the Under Secretary, and Messrs. Murphy, Henderson, Phleger and Rountree.

[Page 413]

As a result of this meeting the Secretary sent to Secretary Wilson on December 18 a letter attaching a Top Secret memorandum containing the Department’s views on what authority Congress should be asked to give the President.4

R. G. Sturgill5
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 611.80/12–1856. Confidential.↩
  2. Copies of these two drafts and the other drafts mentioned in this note have not been found.↩
  3. See the memorandum from Murphy to Dulles, supra.↩
  4. Infra.↩
  5. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩