Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, The Near East and Africa, Volume VIII

890F.248/3–2445: Telegram

The Minister in Saudi Arabia (Eddy) to the Secretary of State

Jidda, March 24, 1945—11 a.m.
[Received 4:15 p.m.]

122. ReDeps 78, March 6, 10 p.m.⁵⁷ and 64, March 6, 9 [8] p.m. Section 1. After consultation with Colonel Connor and with his concurrence I recommend:

1. Combined Chiefs of Staff should secure British concurrence in United States airfield at Dhahran before negotiations are opened with Saudi Government regarding projects of military mission. The airfield is the principal interest of United States Army to whom other projects of mission are subsidiary. Saudi Government has notified us and presumably British that they await concurrence of principal allies in this war measure and would interpret as United States political weakness any proposal for military mission before United States Army has secured British concurrence.

2. While some commitment as to United States financial and economic assistance would strengthen greatly our hands, negotiations for military mission and projects should be undertaken at Riyadh immediately following British concurrence in airfield.

ReDepins undated and unnumbered⁵⁸ delivered to me by Colonel Connor, my recommendations follow in sections 2 and 3, wherein it will be noted that I recommend negotiations with Saudi Government be opened with clear-cut, candid distinction between offers to assist and requests for concessions, a distinction which the King would welcome.

Section 2. I recommend negotiations with Saudi Government (reDepins handed me by Colonel Connor) as follows:

The United States offers to Saudi Arabia:

Improvement of road between Dhahran and Riyadh to be undertaken immediately as set forth in subject reference enclosure 1,⁵⁹ 4 b, after completion of which the United States will undertake improvement of road from Riyadh to Jidda.

Comment: King wants entire road improved to connect Riyadh, with both coasts and bind national economy together. He considers this project implicit in permission for extensive photo control surveys already made by United States Army. British accomplished practically no improvement of roads and informed me they contemplate no more road repair, having long ago withdrawn feeble and poorly equipped road mission (reLegs 278, September 15, 11 a.m., 1944⁶⁰).

2. Training of Saudi pilots and crews as set forth in enclosure 1, annex A, paragraph 9,⁶¹ with offer to bequeath to Saudi Government (upon termination of the air training activities of the mission) training field, installations and planes.

3. United States Army medical mission which while caring for health of United States personnel will provide health services in vicinity and will assist in establishing medical services of Saudi Army.

4. Training of Saudi Army Quartermaster, Ordnance and Signal Corps; assisting to establish service of supply, maintenance of equipment and technical services.

Comment: While the demand will come in time I do not believe the Saudi Government would now welcome offer to assist their army in financial procedures or efficiency rating of personnel.

5. The offers of assistance listed in 1 to 4 above would be administered by a single inclusive United States Military mission with headquarters in AUS⁶² military concession in Dhahran area. Personnel of mission to be determined by War Department depending upon scope of projects agreed.

Section 3. In return for offers in section 2, United States requests:

1. Agreement to establish United States Army first class airdrome with all facilities including longtime lease and postwar commercial rights at Dhahran as set forth in instruction referred to, enclosure 1, 4c and annex B.⁶³

The agreement to establish a United States military mission to coordinate airfield and all military projects offered in section 2. This mission to constitute only mission in Saudi Arabia for military assistance and advice.

This mission will require permission to construct adequate housing facilities at Dhahran for mission personnel and construction crews.

Comment: Although not included in my subject instructions from Department, I suggest it might be opportune to include request for Saudi Arabia radio telegraph station for direct and immediate communications with USAF is also long overdue (reLegs 106, March 14, 3 p.m.⁶⁴ Colonel Connor concurs in text above message and requests copy be furnished War Department. Attention Operations Division from Connor.

Repeated as No. 60 to Cairo for General Giles.

Eddy

57. Not printed.
58. Presumably the Department’s instruction of March 10, 1945, in which the Minister was informed regarding projects for the extension of interim assistance to Saudi Arabia through the establishment of a military mission, the construction of roads, and the construction of airfields and related facilities, and was instructed to submit his recommendations following consultation with Colonel Connor (890F.20 Missions/3–1045).
59. This enclosure to the Department’s unnumbered instruction of March 10 was a memorandum of February 5 from the War Department to the Department of State, not printed (see paragraph numbered 5 of the Report by the Ad Hoc Committee of the State-War-Navy Coordinating Committee circulated on February 22, p. 852). Paragraph 4b or the enclosure stated that the War Department was prepared to undertake the improvement of this road, a distance of approximately 290 miles, commencing on or about March 1, 1945. It also stated that the British had undertaken minor repairs of the road from Jidda to Riyadh and recommended that the United States not consider undertaking repairs of this road Rending clarification of the British position.
60. Foreign Relations, 1944, vol. v, p. 741.
61. This paragraph stated that the proposed mission would be equipped to train approximately 15 pilots and 80 air and ground crew members of the Saudi Arabian Army at one time.
62. Army of the United States.
63. Paragraph 4c stated that construction of the airfield would involve expenditures of up to $10,000,000 and that prior to starting the construction of the airfields and related facilities, “it will be necessary for the State Department to secure from Saudi Arabia not only the right to perform all of the necessary construction work, but also the right for United States forces to maintain and occupy the airfield and the other facilities, together with such appropriate housing, servicing, maintenance, weather and communications facilities as may be required, for the duration of the German and Japanese wars plus one year. It will also be necessary to secure flying rights over Saudi Arabia and permission to locate navigational aids, such as weather stations and one emergency field in the center of the country, at a place to be determined by the Air Force.” These rights were described as essential ones and it was declared desirable to secure additional rights such as a longer term agreement. Annex B was a detailed study of the needs of the proposed airfield.
64. Post, p. 1014.