Foreign Relations of the United States, 1958–1960, Volume X, Part 1, Eastern Europe Region; Soviet Union; Cyprus

263. Memorandum of Conversation⁰

MC–19

New York, September 26, 1958, 10 a.m.

SECRETARY’S TRIP TO NEW YORK

PARTICIPANTS

• US
  • The Secretary
  • Mr. J. N. Greene, Jr.
  • Mr. William M. Rountree
• UK
  • Mr. Selwyn Lloyd
  • Sir Pierson Dixon
  • Sir Harold Caccia
  • Mr. Anthony Moore
  • Mr. Denis Laskey

SUBJECT

• Cyprus

Following is a summary of the portion of the Secretary’s meeting dealing with Cyprus:

Mr. Lloyd said he was deeply grateful for the support which we had given the British in connection with Cyprus. He would greatly appreciate it if the Secretary could make certain that the Turks would not go back on their promise to designate their Consul General in Cyprus as their representative under the British plan. He felt this might be accomplished by sending a message to Mr. Menderes complimenting him upon his statesmanlike decision. The Secretary agreed that this could be done and asked Mr. Rountree to prepare such a telegram.

Telegram 1073 to Ankara, September 26. (Ibid., Central Files, 747C.00/9–2358)

The Secretary referred to the NATO meeting on the preceding day at which the Turkish representative had made a speech violently criticizing the Spaak proposal with respect to Cyprus.² He said it was very difficult to oppose in principle a meeting of the parties concerned. However, he recognized that such a meeting would entail considerable difficulty. Mr. Lloyd responded that he had in mind a conciliatory answer saying in principle that the British accepted the idea of a conference. However, he did not feel they could agree to a delay in implementation of the British plan. He hoped it would be possible to take credit for the Turkish action in appointing their Consul General rather than sending in a special representative. The British greatly feared that if there should be a new conference in advance of implementing the plan, the Turks might try to impress the conference by inciting riots to demonstrate the depth of Turkish feeling on the issue. The substance of the matter would again be opened, and the Turks could be expected to go back to previous positions including demand for partition. Mr. Lloyd therefore was concerned that Mr. Spaak’s well-intentioned initiative might result in a great setback on the Cyprus issue. He thought it important that our allies be made to realize this danger. The British plan in its present form really gave the Greeks what they wanted, although it could not be spelled out as they would like. It was most unfortunate that Greek opposition had been built up to such an extent regarding any Turk Government presence on the island, however innocuous that might be.

The Secretary recognized that the proposed conference had risks as well as possible advantages. For example, there was a grey area regarding the role and the functions of foreign advisers. That grey area would permit the Greeks to present the plan one way to their public, if they wanted to, and would permit the Turks to present it another way to their own public. Being specific might in fact hinder success of the plan rather than bring the parties together. He realized that there was strong sentiment for the conference and agreed with Mr. Rountree’s observation that it would be extremely difficult to oppose it in principle.

The Secretary asked when the conference was planned, and mentioned the fact that Mr. Spaak was now in the United States,³ with October 1 not far off. Mr. Rountree stated his understanding that the date of the conference was less important to Mr. Spaak and others than was the question of whether the British would postpone implementation of their plan until after the Spaak proposals could be discussed. Mr. Lloyd repeated that he would be greatly disturbed by any postponement, since not only might Turk support be lost but they might undertake very rash action to impress the conference.

The matter was left that we would send a telegram to Turkey on the appointment of the Turk Consul General,⁴ and Mr. Lloyd would give further thought as to what could be done about the conference. Meanwhile both he and the Secretary would be talking with Mr. Spaak. Mr. Lloyd said the British answer on the conference should be available by Monday.⁵

0. Source: Department of State, Secretary’s Memoranda of Conversation: Lot 64 D 199. Confidential. Drafted by Rountree. The meeting was held at the Waldorf Astoria.
2. See Document 261.
3. Spaak was arriving in Boston on September 27 for a meeting of the Atlantic Treaty Association. He was scheduled to be in Washington on September 29 for meetings with U.S. officials.
4. Not found.
5. September 29.