611.90F31/11–1445: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Saudi Arabia ( Sands )

328. Please convey following message to For Min41 from Sec State and report by urgent cable when delivered42 so that intention in final paragraph can be implemented.

“Because of the increase in the common interests of the United States and Saudi Arabia during recent years, I believe it would be to the mutual advantage of our two nations if we could supplement our present provisional agreement43 with a broader type of commercial accord. On the basis of this belief, and following upon the reference to the subject made to Your Highness in Washington recently,44 I am arranging to send Your Highness a draft accord which I hope the Govt of Saudi Arabia will wish to consider consummating with the United States. This draft will be transmitted in the relatively near future by the American Minister in Jidda45 whom I shall authorize to discuss any general or specific suggestions which the Saudi Arabian Government may see fit to make.

For your personal information, this Government expects at an early date to propose to the Imam Yehya46 that the Government of the United States and the Government of the Yemen negotiate a simple provisional agreement concerning diplomatic and trade relations47 generally similar to that which we have had for years with the Saudi Arabian Government.”48

Eddy will bring sample of draft accord.

Byrnes
  1. Amir Faisal.
  2. In telegram 392, November 16, 1945, 6 p.m., the Chargé in Saudi Arabia reported: “Message contained in Deptel 328, November 14, has been delivered to Acting Foreign Minister.” (611.90F31/11–1645) Yusuf Yassin was Deputy Foreign Minister.
  3. Agreement in regard to diplomatic and consular representation, juridical protection, commerce and navigation, signed at London, November 7, 1933, Foreign Relations, 1933, vol. ii, p. 999.
  4. For documentation on this subject, see pp. 1000 ff.
  5. Col. William A. Eddy was in Washington for consultation; he returned to Jidda on December 13.
  6. The Imam Yehya bin Mohammed Hamid-ud-din, the King of Yemen.
  7. For documentation on the initiation of negotiations for the establishment of formal diplomatic and treaty relations between the United States and Yemen, see pp. 1312 ff.
  8. In telegram 402, December 4, 1945, 5 p.m., the Chargé in Saudi Arabia transmitted a message from the Saudi Arabian Minister acting in charge of the Foreign Office, acknowledging the above message and stating that the Saudi Arabian Government would give sympathetic consideration to any project or proposal received from the United States Government (611.90F31/12–445).