890F.24/88
The Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Alling) to the First Secretary of the British Embassy (Hayter)
My Dear Mr. Hayter: I have received your letter of December 4, 1943, placing on record your recollections as to conclusions reached at a meeting on the previous day regarding questions arising out of proposals to make military supplies available to Saudi Arabia. While I am in agreement that numbered paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) of your letter state the conclusions reached at this meeting, I wish to make the following comments regarding paragraphs (1), (5), and (6).
[Page 918]With respect to paragraph (1), while agreeing in principle, I consider that the expression “50/50” should be defined further. In my opinion, this definition should take the form of a statement that in so far as practicable there shall be approximately equal scales of offers from the United States and Great Britain through the device of a mutually acceptable division of responsibility for providing an agreed upon list of arms.
In regard to paragraph (5) my understanding of this point was to the effect that U.K. might wish to request British Headquarters in Cairo to discuss with General Royce, after his return from Jidda, the questions of amounts and types of munitions which he plans to recommend for assignment to Saudi Arabia, thus making it possible for General Royce to send to Washington full information to be used as a basis for agreement on a single list of items to be furnished by each country.
In paragraph (6) I suggest adding the word “deliveries” so that the phraseology of this paragraph will be as follows:
“meanwhile there would be a moratorium on deliveries, assignments or offers of arms to Saudi Arabia”.
It would be appreciated if you would inform me whether these modifications meet with your approval.
Sincerely yours,