800.24/1160: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
6619. The Department is informed by the War Department, with reference to the Embassy’s airgram A–766, August 3, 9:15 a.m., that the British plan to provide Ibn Saud with 50 armored cars, 500 machine guns, 10,000 rifles, and ammunition.
Please inform Major General Crain, Senior American Representative on the Munitions Assignments Board, through the Military Attaché, that General Royce, American Theater Commander in Cairo, has expressed a willingness to lead or send a military mission to Saudi Arabia, if the King so requests, to determine the King’s needs and the part we should play through Lend-Lease in providing for them. The King has now requested such a mission through our Minister at Jidda. Therefore, in view of American interests in Saudi Arabia which will shortly become linked with our war effort in an important way, we wish to suggest that approval of the British plan by the American representative on the Munitions Assignments Board could [Page 908] appropriately be withheld until General Royce’s mission makes its recommendations.
Sent to London, repeated to Cairo.99
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The telegram was repeated to Cairo as Department’s No. 1581, with the following added:
“The foregoing has been sent to London as the Department’s 6619, October 23, 1943. Please bring it to the attention of General Royce, pointing out that what the British plan to furnish Ibn Saud would appear to represent about 100 percent of what the British have estimated the King’s needs to be, except for aircraft, anti-aircraft guns, and light artillery, which presumably are not available for Arabia at this time. You should emphasize that in view of the importance of our war-connected interests in Saudi Arabia, we believe that our contribution to the King’s needs for military equipment should at least equal the British. This refers to Jidda’s 155, October 7, noon and 161, October 16, 7 p.m.
“Sent to Cairo, repeated to Jidda.”
The London-Cairo telegram was repeated to Jidda as Department’s No. 92, October 23, with the following added:
↩“You are authorized to postpone your visit to Cairo for the purpose of accompanying General Royce’s mission to a time you deem appropriate, if you consider it necessary, in view of the King’s presence in the Hejaz, to accompany Royce from Cairo.”