740.0011 European War 1939/5395a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Egypt ( Fish )
96. Please telegraph the Department any information that you may be able to obtain discreetly concerning the general military situation in Egypt and the Sudan, including the approximate number of British forces in Egypt and the Sudan and the estimated number of opposing Italian forces. In that connection the Department would be pleased to receive the opinions of the British military and civil authorities concerning the military situation so far as they may feel free to make such opinions known to you.
The Department would also be interested in receiving an estimate of the naval situation in the eastern Mediterranean and in the Red Sea, including whether the Red Sea is continuing to be used by the British for commercial shipping.
The Department assumes that you are maintaining close contact with the Consulates at Alexandria and Port Said with a view to forwarding by telegraph information of important developments in those districts. Such information should of course include any discreetly obtainable concerning damage of any significance by Italian air raids.