890F.248/12–1945: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant)
10927. Re Depts 10103, Nov 19, London’s 12421, Nov 28, Depts 10394, Nov 30, and Depts 10775.50 Will you please call personally upon the Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. McNeil, and inform him that it is impossible for us longer to continue building operations on the airfield at Dhahran, Saudi Arabia unless we obtain from Ibn Saud the conditions under which President and Congress agreed to have field [Page 979] completed. We are therefore compelled to take this matter up with Ibn Saud at once.
One of required conditions is Bilateral Air Transport Agreement as we have previously pointed out to Brit Govt. We understand that some time ago Brit Govt gave Saudi Arabian Govt (SAG) to understand that it was opposed to SAG’s signing such an agreement with US. We have asked Brit Govt to let SAG know that it no longer opposes our entering into such an agreement and that it does not oppose building of Dhahran airfield under conditions which we are proposing. However we have thus far had no reply from Brit Govt.
If Brit Govt takes no action in this matter SAG will have impression that Brit Govt is opposed to completion of field under conditions laid down by President and Congress. In such circumstances SAG in desiring not to give offense to Brit Govt may reject our proposals with result that field will not be completed and that millions of dollars already expended on this field by US would be lost. If this should occur American prestige in whole Near and Middle East would be seriously impaired and impression created that US and Great Britain no longer cooperate in that area.
American Govt is convinced that such a development would be harmful to interests of both American and Brit Govts both in Near East and elsewhere, and sincerely hopes therefore that Brit Govt will find it possible to send appropriate instructions regarding its attitude on completion of airport at Dhahran to its representative in Saudi Arabia, within the next few days.
Repeated to Jidda as no. 363.