890F.20 Missions/13a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
4322. The Department is extremely anxious to ascertain as soon as possible the views of the Foreign Office in regard to the suggestions made in Department’s 3489, May 1, 5 p.m. concerning military and financial advisers for Saudi Arabia.
As the Foreign Office is doubtless aware, American and British officials are now discussing in Cairo Saudi Arabian supply and fiscal problems with a view to endeavoring to seek their solution through joint American-British cooperative assistance. It is believed that a settlement of the adviser question might contribute to the successful outcome of these conversations now taking place in Cairo.
It may be recalled that Foreign Office officials recently expressed to Mr. Wallace Murray the hope that conversations in Washington between American and British Treasury officials regarding Saudi Arabian fiscal and monetary matters might be resumed as soon as possible. In as much as the adviser question is of a fundamental character with respect to the solution of Saudi Arabian problems, it has been considered advisable to await receipt of the Foreign Office’s expression of opinion regarding this question before resuming the financial discussions in Washington.
Please convey the substance of the foregoing to appropriate officials of the Foreign Office and express to them the hope that the Department may receive their expressions of opinion regarding the adviser question as soon as possible.