Foreign Relations of the United States, 1947, The Near East and Africa, Volume V

841.2368/5–147: Telegram

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

secret

London, May 1, 1947—7 p. m.

2548. Personal for the Secretary. Called on Bevin this afternoon to pay my respects [here follows remainder of paragraph, dealing with the British Military Mission in Greece.]

He then discussed the British position in Egypt and explained that there was a disposition on the part of our Government through the American Ambassador in Cairo, to mediate between the British Govt and the Egyptian Govt. He hoped that we would not indicate to the Egyptian Govt a willingness to mediate, and said that he had understood that you had agreed in Moscow that we would keep our hands off.¹ He recited the history leading up to the present situation including his offer, to which the Egyptian Govt at one time had agreed, to withdraw by September 1949 all British forces. This proposal had, however, subsequently been disapproved by the present Egyptian Govt which, he indicated, was contemplating taking the question of British troops and the relationship between the British Govt and the Egyptian Govt to the United Nations.

He said that, while he was prepared voluntarily with the Egyptian Govt to substitute a new arrangement for the one embraced in the treaty of 1936 between his Govt and the Egyptian Govt, he would not countenance intervention or action by the United Nations or any other power for the purpose of compelling his Govt to breach the terms of a treaty entered into in good faith by both parties.

He asked me to comunicate this view to you.²

Douglas

1. The Secretary of State conversed with Mr. Bevin at Moscow on March 26, but his memorandum of conversation (see vol. ii, p. 289) makes no reference to any discussion of Egypt.
2. In telegram 1985, May 7, the Secretary of State instructed the Embassy in London to inform Mr. Bevin that “this Govt does not have any intention of indicating to Egyptian Govt a willingness to mediate.” The Embassy was also authorized to add that “any indication to the contrary in Cairo must have been due to misunderstanding our position.” (841.2383/5–147)