263. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Egypt1
2454. Please convey soonest following personal and private message from President to Nasser:
Begin Text. Dear Mr. Prime Minister: I am just issuing a public statement in connection with Secretary General Hammarskjold’s mission to the Near East.2 By it I commit the United States to the support of that mission in fullest measure and reaffirm our Government’s position with reference to possible aggression.
[Page 503]In the friendliest spirit I want to supplement that public statement with a personal and private message to you.
I realize that this is a period of very great strain and tension and that there may occur further provocative actions. It is my earnest hope that in view of the awful calamity which general hostilities would surely visit upon the area, you will even under extreme provocation avoid retaliatory action which could have the gravest consequences.
This is, I am sure you will agree, a time for high statesmanship, through which time will be provided to achieve a result which would be infinitely better than that which would follow from hostilities.
This message is prompted by the hatred of war and knowledge of all of the evil and misery that it produces—a hatred and knowledge which I know we share. Sincerely yours, Dwight D. Eisenhower. End Text.
When foregoing message delivered you should also hand Nasser copy White House press statement contained immediately following telegram.3
Similar message being conveyed Ben Gurion by Embassy Tel Aviv.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 684A.86/4–956. Secret; Niact. Drafted by Dulles and approved by Rountree who signed for Dulles. On April 11, the telegram was repeated to USUN eyes only for Ambassador Lodge. (Telegram 593 to New York; ibid., 674.84A/4–1156)↩
- See footnote 2, Document 258.↩
- See footnote 5, ibid.↩