890F.001 Ibn Saud/30

The Under Secretary of State ( Welles ) to President Roosevelt

My Dear Mr. President: I enclose for your consideration and signature, if you approve, a message to the King of Saudi Arabia. It is intended that this letter be handed to His Majesty when the American Minister at Cairo, who as you know is accredited to Saudi Arabia as well as to Egypt, presents his credentials in the near future.

As you will note, the letter presents to King Ibn Saud an Agricultural Mission from this Government under Mr. K. S. Twitchell, who was recently presented to you by Colonel Donovan.9 The Saudi Arabian Government recently requested a mission of technical experts to assist in the agricultural development of Arabia, and I understand that the gift of such a mission has already received your approval. The appointment of Mr. Twitchell as its director would seem appropriate in view of his experience and knowledge of Saudi Arabia and the confidence reposed in him by King Ibn Saud.

I believe that your message, and the gift of this Mission, will produce a thoroughly favorable effect upon the King, who as you know is the most influential figure in the Arab and Moslem world generally, in and through which a very important part of the war effort is taking place. More specifically, Saudi Arabia lies between the field of activity of the United States Army North African Mission under General Maxwell based on the Red Sea, and that of the United States Army Iranian Mission under General Wheeler based on the Persian Gulf. The Army Air Corps now has under active consideration the desirability of requesting the permission of the Saudi Arabian Government for the installation of airfields. It is entirely possible that as the result of military developments in the Middle East it will be necessary for our [Page 563] armed services to obtain, sooner or later, rather extensive facilities from the King of Saudi Arabia.

Faithfully yours,

Sumner Welles
[Enclosure]

Draft of Message From President Roosevelt to the King of Saudi Arabia ( Ibn Saud )10

Your Majesty: I have been informed of the desire of Your Government, as communicated to Mr. Kirk, American Minister accredited to Your Majesty’s Government, to obtain the services of American irrigation and agricultural experts to cooperate in making surveys and plans for the further development of Saudi Arabia.

I am convinced that Your Majesty’s well-known endeavors to bring about increased agricultural production are of fundamental importance to the welfare of Your country. I realize also that the normal economy of Saudi Arabia has been disturbed for various reasons arising from the war.

Accordingly, I am sending two technical experts of the United States Government under the direction of Mr. K. S. Twitchell, who I understand is favorably known to Your Majesty and familiar with Your country and its problems. The salaries, and traveling expenses of the Mission from this country to Saudi Arabia and return are at the Chargé of the Government of the United States. I bespeak for the members of this Mission the hospitality and cooperation of Your Majesty’s Government and sincerely trust that their labors will prove fruitful.

I avail myself of this opportunity to send my greetings and best wishes, and those of the Government and People of the United States of America, to You and to the Government and People of Saudi Arabia, who have a long and noble history, and whose love of liberty finds a particularly warm response in our hearts at this time.

As Your Majesty is doubtless aware, my countrymen, in association with the other peoples comprising the United Nations, have pledged their lives and their fortunes to the eradication of the evil forces of Germany, Italy, and Japan, which seek to destroy the world’s liberties in accordance with an utterly selfish plan, pursued in a cruel and dishonorable manner. However bitter the struggle may be, the final outcome is not in doubt, and, in view of the bonds of civilization and the common aims which unite our Peoples, I am confident that Your Majesty will assist in the attainment of freedom, security and progress in such manner as Your wisdom and judgment may determine.

Your Good Friend,

Franklin D. Roosevelt
  1. William J. Donovan, Coordinator of Information.
  2. Apparently approved and signed by the President, February 13, 1942.