890F.24/27: Telegram
The Minister in Egypt (Kirk) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 13—7:23 p.m.]
696. Department’s 364, March 11, 4 p.m. Following a series of conferences with Ibn Saud and his advisors at his camp near Maghalla64 the King expressed his appreciation of the President’s offer to render Saudi Arabia eligible to Lend-Lease and is awaiting the President’s declaration to that effect.
Eighty Lend-Lease trucks now en route to Saudi Arabia will constitute the first shipment under direct Lend-Lease and the Saudi Arabian Minister of Finance65 signed the requisition covering this shipment which Rountree submitted to him following the conferences.
The Minister of Finance expressed great interest in procuring irrigation machinery and accordingly I shall appreciate advices at the earliest possible moment as to the possibility of obtaining under direct Lend-Lease the pumps mentioned in the Department’s telegram under reference the specifications which I understand are merely a temporary expedient pending the installation of the complete and permanent equipment. Specifications for the complete equipment can be obtained from the San Francisco office of Casoc.
A report of the conversations with Ibn Saud and his advisors relating to Lend-Lease will follow.66