Secretary of State John Foster Dulles today conferred with 14 leading members of both houses of Congress on the Arab-Israel situation. The Congressional leaders represented both the Republican and Democratic parties. Secretary Dulles devoted most of the 90-minute talk to explaining why the State Department is not acting on Israel’s request for arms.
Mr. Dulles is reported to have told the Congressional leaders that Israel’s security is adequately protected by the United Nations and by Tripartite assurances. He reiterated his view that the sale of arms to Israel would jeopardize and embarrass the Western position vis-a-vis the Arabs at a time when the Communists are trying to win the Arab states. Mainly, he briefed the group on developments and stressed the role of UN Secretary General Hammarskjold.
Secretary Dulles was asked if he was preparing any request for action by Congress now on the Arab-Israel situation. He answered in the negative. House Republican leader Joseph W. Martin said after the conference with Mr. Dulles that definitely no request for authority to send U. S. troops to the Middle East is contemplated at this time. Other participants also stated that there was no reason to expect that President Eisenhower would ask approval by Congress for the use of American troops at this time to prevent aggression between the Arab states and Israel.
Participants in the meeting included State Department Counselor Douglas MacArthur II, foreign aid chief John B. Hollister, and George V. Allen, Assistant Secretary of State for Near, Eastern Affairs. Rep. Martin told newsmen after the meeting that there was “no particular, pressing emergency that we know about.” He said if the danger developed to a point where it was necessary to consider use of forces,” of course there might be a request, but no such danger exists now.”
Chairman Waiter F. George (D., Ga.,) of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, said the meeting was “just a briefing.” He described the situation as “very acute” and “very confusing.” Senate Democratic leader Lyndon B. Johnson said Mr. Dulles gave a “thorough briefing” but that the meeting was “not a very heartening” one. Republican leaders Sen. Knowland and Sen. Leverett Saltonstall said the possibility of Congressional action was discussed but no request was made for any such action.
DULLES KEEPS EISENHOWER INFORMED ON ARAB-ISRAEL DEVELOPMENTS
The State Department said this afternoon that Secretary Dulles discussed developments in the Arab-Israel situation by telephone today with President Eisenhower who is now vacationing in Augusta, Ga. The State Department also revealed that tripartite contacts on the Arab-Israel situation are being held through informal contacts, rather than formal meetings.
No formal meeting of the tripartite group is now scheduled, because of the development of communication on a less formal basis, State Department spokesman Lincoln White said. These meetings were sometimes joint and sometimes individual, he stated. The United States has been in frequent touch with both the British and French, and while the number of meetings have been small, it continues to be in touch with the two powers, Mr. White declared, adding that the United States never envisaged a series of formal meetings.
Mr. White also said he did not think that Secretary Dulles meeting with Congressional leaders today was “any emergency measure as such.” He indicated that the timing of the return to Washington for consultations of Edward Lawson, U. S. Ambassador to Israel, would depend on developments. Mr. Lawson is expected back in the very near future, however. Asked if Henry Byroade, U. S. Ambassador to Egypt, was also returning, Mr. White said he did not want to rule that out. But, he said, he did not know for sure.
Top administration authorities are saying privately today that the dispatch of U. S. armed forces to repel an Arab aggression against Israel is unthinkable because it would mean falling into a Communist trap. The Soviet strategists, according to these Washington officials, hope to see the United States linked militarily with Israel against the Arabs. Russia wants such a development, they said, so that the Arab bloc would be maneuvered closer to Moscow while the Moslem world turned against America. Therefore, the United States is looking to the United Nations for a solution.
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