Memorandum of Telephone Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson and Ambassador of Great Britain Sir Oliver Franks

5/53712 SECURITY INSORMATI DEPARTMENT OF STATE 473 Memorandum of Conversation 33 DATE: January 27, 1952 6:00 pm SUBJECT: Egyptian developments. a PARTICIPANTS: The Secretary British Ambassador cort (Mr. L. D. Battle Mr. G. Lewis Jones - present) COPIES TO: Amembassy Cairo Amembassy London Amembassy Paris Amembassy Ankara G S/P NE s/s u. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 16-61120-1 The Secretary telephoned the British Ambassador about 6:00 p.me, today from his residence and spoke in the following sense: The Secretary had received Mr. Eden's message of January 25 regarding the contemplated police action at Ismalia. He was sorry that that action had not worked out as Mr. Eden had hoped and expected. "The whole thing looks bad". The Secretary understood Mr. Eden was considering the issuance of a con- ciliatory message: The U.S. favored the early issuance of such a message. (The British Ambassador at this point advised the Secretary of the news over the radio that the King had formed a new ccabinet.) The Secretary said that if the cabinet has changed, this would indicate even more strongly the need for a conciliatory message. Speaking very personally the Secretary said that it did not impress him that the operation of Ismalia had been carried out with "unusual skill". He said the "splutter of musketry" apparently does not stop things as we had been told from time to time that it would. The Secretary said that Ambassador Caffery is doing everything possible to prevent Egyptians from taking such retaliatory measures as breaking diplomatic relations. DECLASSIFIED The E Ó. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and S(D) a 5-12-76 Depr. of Scate letter, EFFO MATION Sa N.T. HC : NARS Date 2-12-76