890F.20 Mission/11a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)94
3489. The Department, with the concurrence of the War Department, approves of the British suggestion set forth in Deles 3795 for a joint American-British military mission, to be headed by a British officer of Anglo-Saxon extraction and with experience and training in Arab countries, it being recognized that the British have primary military responsibility in that area. However, the Department’s and the War Department’s approval of the Foreign Office’s suggestion is contingent upon the Foreign Office’s acceptance of the viewpoint that, in view of preponderant American economic interests in Saudi Arabia, any financial or economic mission such as the one referred to in Deles no. 1096 that may be sent to Saudi Arabia at the request of Ibn Saud should be headed by an American.
If the Foreign Office concurs in this viewpoint, it is believed that our Minister Resident and the British Minister at Jidda should seek jointly to obtain King Ibn Saud’s consent to such a mission and that the American and British military authorities in Cairo should be instructed to work out the details thereof among themselves.
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Repeated substantially to the Minister Resident in Saudi Arabia in telegram 80, May 1, 5 p.m., with the following instruction: “If the Foreign Office concurs in the foregoing, it is suggested that you and your British colleague may wish jointly to seek the King’s consent to such a military mission.
“The War Department is advising General Giles of these developments for his information and will instruct him to take up the matter with the British military authorities in Cairo. If the Foreign Office concurs in the Department’s views, you may wish to discuss this matter with General Giles when you go to Cairo.” (890F.20 Missions/9a)
↩ - April 27, p. 692.↩
- April 15, p. 684.↩