Office of the Historian

357.AC/1–950: Telegram

The Ambassador in Egypt (Caffery) to the Secretary of State

top secret
Cairo, January 9, 1950—4 p. m.

Mytel 23, January 9.1 Hassan Youssef tells me Sirry will give his representative appropriate instructions upon his departure for Geneva. However, with new government coming in2 (which was neither foreseen nor expected by Sirry and Youssef), Sirry must make reservation that plans are subject to approval of new Prime Minister. [Page 679] Asking support plans, Hassan Youssef believes Nahas will approve them too.3

Department pass Tel Aviv 3.

Caffery
  1. Not printed; it advised that Abdul Moniem Mustapha had been designated as the principal Egyptian delegate to the Palestine Conciliation Commission (357. AC/1–950).↩
  2. General elections were held in Egypt on January 3 and 10, 1950, resulting in victory for the Wafdist Party. Mustapha Nahas and Mohamed Salaheddin became Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs, respectively, in the new government.↩
  3. The departure for Geneva of Abdul Moniem Mustapha was delayed in order for him to hold discussions with the new Minister for Foreign Affairs (telegram 30 from Cairo, January 11, 357.AC/1–1150). Ambassador Caffery reported on January 18 that the latter would review the files before making any decision on direct talks (telegram 50 from Cairo, 674.84A/1–1850). Two days later he informed the Department of State that the advisers who had persuaded the King to authorize direct talks still favored holding the talks and that the King was in accord, but that inasmuch as they were “uncertain as to attitude new Minister Foreign Affairs, they say they must proceed cautiously at this juncture (telegram 58 from Cairo, 674.84A/1–2050).↩