890F.00/4–1948: Telegram
The Minister in Saudi Arabia ( Childs ) to the Secretary of State
210. Legtel 207, seventeenth. King made following important points my final audience morning April 16:
- 1.
- Isolated treaty between SAG and Britain is not sufficient. What is most desirable is network of treaties between Britain and all Arab states and US and all Arab states. His Majesty would prefer multilateral arrangement but form less important than substance and bilateral treaties would be satisfactory provided they were negotiated at same time.
- 2.
- Considering closeness Saudi relations with US Saudi treaty with US more important to His Majesty than one with Britain. He is prepared to conclude treaty with Britain in conformity with principles set forth in reply to British memo but he desires most of all treaty with US.
- 3.
- His Majesty desires views US Government regarding above and his reply to British memo.
Shaikh Yusef added outside audience satisfactory settlement Palestine and Egyptian questions were necessary to achieve unity between Arabs and US and Great Britain. I replied I thought Arabs should be convinced we were making every effort in UN to bring about Palestine settlement which would attain peace in that country, while British were in our opinion sincerely desirous reaching Egyptian [Page 235] settlement which was most conducive security objectives we all shared.
Sent Department 210; repeated London 60; Baghdad 18.