883.2311/4–2247
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Secretary of State1
| Participants: | Mr. Acheson, Acting Secretary |
| Mr. Henderson, Director, NEA | |
| Mr. J. Balfour, British Embassy |
Mr. Balfour called on me today in order to discuss various matters relating to the Near East. Mr. Henderson of NEA was present. During the course of the conversation, Mr. Balfour read a communication from his Government requesting the British Embassy to inquire with regard to reports that the Egyptian Chief of Staff would visit the United States. The communication requested the Embassy to point out that the British Government was somewhat surprised that a visit of this kind had been arranged without any consultation whatsoever with it. The British Government’s only knowledge of the visit was that derived from newspaper reports. It had been the hope of the British Government that the two Governments would keep each other currently informed regarding events of mutual interest in the Near and Middle East.
Mr. Balfour was informed that the reports of such a visit were true; that the Egyptian Chief of Staff had already arrived in Washington and that the purpose of the visit was to permit high-ranking Egyptian Army officers to visit various American military establishments and factories in order to acquaint themselves with the manner [Page 769] in which these establishments were being conducted and with various types of modern weapons of war. This visit had been arranged by the War Department and was not political in nature.
Regret was expressed that the British Government had not been informed of the visit. We had assumed that the matter had been discussed as a matter of course between the American and British Embassies in Cairo. We hoped that in the future, in case matters of this kind should arise, the appropriate British Chief of Mission would without hesitation make pertinent inquiries of the American Chief of Mission, who, undoubtedly, would give him all the information desired. It continued to be the policy of this Government to cooperate closely with the British Government in the Near and Middle East and to keep it informed regarding developments which might seem to be of mutual interest.
Mr. Balfour said that his Government hoped that this visit did not mean that the United States had any intention of playing the prominent role in Egyptian military affairs which Great Britian had played in the past. He was assured that we had no desire or intention of praying such a role.
- Drafted by Mr. Henderson.↩