Office of the Historian

740.0011 European War 1939/11363: Telegram

The Minister in Egypt (Kirk) to the Secretary of State

Cairo, May 27, 1941—4 p.m.
[Received May 28—8:45 a.m.]

594. For the President, the Secretary and Under Secretary. My 593, May 27, 2 p.m.16 According to the latest advices the situation in Crete is extremely serious if not desperate. This circumstance brings one further step nearer the Nazi threat to Egypt and to the entire position of the Empire in the Mediterranean and the Middle East. With the known status of British organization here and the lack of material, particularly air, and trained personnel, the prospect is dark and I personally see no hope of correcting the deficiencies or relieving the general situation unless and until the United States enters the war.

Kirk
  1. Not printed.↩