811.2383/1–2549
Memorandum by the Counselor (Bohlen) to the Executive Secretariat 1
Subject: Visit of U.S. officers to British GHQ Fayid.
I called the British Ambassador in the sense of the Secretary’s memorandum of January 28 (file attached) to inform him that we saw no political objection to some of Admiral Conolly’s staff visiting GHQ Fayid in Egypt for three or four weeks. I emphasized that we regarded this as a visit and not as an assignment with indications of permanency. I said that at the end of the three or four weeks period we would have to consider the matter further if the visit was to be extended. I told the Ambassador that our Navy Department had been working on the basis of a three or four weeks visit and that in that way it could be handled as a routine matter vis-à-vis the Egyptian Government.
The Ambassador said he understood and would so inform his Government.2
- Addressed also to Mr. Satterthwaite.↩
- The Department, on February 3, notified Cairo of its position and of Mr. Bohlen’s conversation with Ambassador Franks. It concluded that “Idea Egyp participation introduces new element about which Dept has insufficient info and strongly feels no action shld be taken pending further review. … Confer Bolger promptly re his instrs from Conolly particularly re nature and duration visit and Egypt participation or notification.” (telegram 130, 811.2383/1–2449) Rear Adm. Joseph F. Bolger was on the staff of Admiral Conolly.↩