124.90F/13
The Secretary of State to President Roosevelt
My Dear Mr. President: In May 1931 this Government extended recognition to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.8 Since that time we have been urged on several occasions by various American interests to establish permanent diplomatic or consular representation at Jedda. In 1936 our Consul General at Alexandria, an officer thoroughly experienced in Near Eastern matters, was sent to Jedda to report upon the necessity or desirability of establishing such representation. The Consul General concluded “that the development of American interests does not warrant the establishment of any sort of official representation at Jedda at the present time”.
[Page 828]Since 1936 we have continued to receive requests from American interests for the establishment of American representation in Saudi Arabia and, with a view to reexamining the situation, our Legations at Cairo and Baghdad were recently instructed to submit their views as to the desirability of accrediting the American Minister at Cairo and his staff to the Government of King Ibn Saud. Both the Minister at Cairo and the Minister Resident at Baghdad strongly recommend that this course be followed. If this recommendation is adopted it is contemplated that the Minister at Cairo would visit Jedda for the purpose of presenting his credentials and further arrangements would be made for him to revisit the country as occasion arose. The way would thus be open for the chief of mission at Cairo, or one of his subordinates, to proceed to Jedda at any subsequent time to make representations on any matters affecting American interests which might urgently arise.
In this general connection it may be observed that the German Minister at Baghdad and the Japanese Minister at Cairo have recently paid visits to Saudi Arabia, the former to present his credentials and establish diplomatic relations; the latter, so far as can be determined, in order to endeavor to obtain concessions for the development of petroleum resources. The Japanese Minister appears to have been unsuccessful in his efforts, for our Minister at Cairo reports that an American company has within the past few weeks obtained a petroleum concession for a period of sixty years covering practically all of Saudi Arabia. Our Minister at Cairo also reports that King Ibn Saud informed the American company concerned that he had been offered much larger sums for smaller concessions both by Japanese interests and by a British petroleum company, but that he had faith in the United States and trusted the American company.
In view of our growing interests in Saudi Arabia and in as much as our Minister at Cairo reports that there are now more than 325 American citizens in the country, actively connected with American interests, I concur in the proposals made by our representatives at Cairo and Baghdad, and I recommend that our Minister to Egypt and his staff be also accredited to King Ibn Saud and that diplomatic relations be established with his Government. This recommendation, if adopted, would involve no additional expense beyond the nominal amount required to cover the travel expenses of the Minister and his suite in proceeding from Cairo to Jedda and return.
I should be appreciative if you would indicate whether you approve of this proposal.9
Faithfully yours,
- See Foreign Relations, 1931, vol. ii, pp. 547 ff.↩
- Marginal note: “Excellent idea—OK FDR”.↩