890F.515/83: Telegram
The Minister Resident in Saudi Arabia (Moose) to the Secretary of State
[Received 4:58 p.m.]
30. Shaikh Yusuf Yassin43 advised me this morning that the Saudi Government is completely out of funds and that the King had inquired when remaining riyals from Lend-Lease silver would arrive. Sense of Department’s 98, January 18, 11 a.m.44 to Cairo was communicated to Shaikh Yusuf.
When informed of latest shipment of silver, British Minister here offered services of British naval vessel if needed to bring silver from Egypt without delay. While not minimizing need for prompt delivery I still believe it important to land bulk of shipment from American vessel preferably naval even if token shipment delivered by air.45
Repeated to Cairo for Mikesell.
- Private secretary to the King and at this time Acting Minister for Foreign Affairs.↩
- Not printed; it contained information from the Treasury Department that shipment would be made January 19, 1944, of 7 million riyals, expected to arrive at Jidda within a month (890F.515/78).↩
- After continuing discussion as to the timing and means for effecting shipment of the silver in the final phase of the journey from Egypt, the 7 million riyals were delivered to the Saudi Arabian Government at Jidda on March 6, 1944.↩