865.014/7–347: Telegram

The Ambassador in the United Kingdom ( Douglas ) to the Secretary of State

secret

3648. Itcol 18 from Utter and Bagby. Stafford has told us in confidence that the British General Staff still feels that British bases in Cyrenaica are absolutely essential to their strategy in the eastern Mediterranean since British troops will have to be withdrawn from Egypt and very possibly also from Palestine. Foreign Office has tried to persuade the General Staff to alter this position, but without success. While Stafford made no definite statement, it appears likely that the British may still seek trusteeship over Cyrenaica. Stafford seems [Page 592] disposed to discourage unrealistic demands for independence by the inhabitants and if this line is accepted by Foreign Office and pushed to its logical conclusion, it would rule out the alternative solution, often mentioned by the British, of an independent Cyrenaica, bound to Britain by treaty of alliance as in the case of Transjordan. Please inform Colonel Bonesteel.1

Stafford also said that Bevin had considered proposing, as a compromise to possible renewed Soviet request for trusteeship over Tripolitania, to place Tripoli and the adjoining coastal areas under an international regime similar to that of Tangier, but had been dissuaded by Foreign Office elements who thought such a regime would be impractical and give too great a voice to Soviets. At present Foreign Office is indifferent to the fate of Tripolitania except that they wish to exclude Russians and believe that the Italians could only be reinstated after much bloodshed.

[Utter and Bagby]
Douglas
  1. Lt. Col. Charles H. Bonesteel, 3d, previously of the Plans and Operations Division, War Department General Staff, in July 1947 was appointed a special assistant to Under Secretary of State Robert A. Lovett.