Office of the Historian

890F.515/55: Telegram

The Minister Resident in Saudi Arabia (Moose) to the Secretary of State

Jidda, November 8, 1943—8 a.m.
[Received 10:23 a.m.]

174. British Minister here has suggested that the entire 8 million rials mentioned in Department’s 71, September 18 [17], 11 p.m., be delivered to Gellatly-Hankey and Co., a British firm for sale to pilgrims. [Page 910] Local officials object. The second paragraph of Department’s wire appears to support British suggestion because firm named sometimes acts as Government bankers.

I request authorization to inform local officials that the United States Government did not intend to object to sale being effected by Finance Ministry itself or by such other agent as local Government may choose.3

Moose
  1. Such authorization was given in telegram No. 99, November 11, 4 p.m. (890F.515/53).↩