774.02/9–1052: Telegram
No. 1009
The Secretary of
State to the Embassy in
Egypt1
538. Cairo tel 645, rpt London 219. Steel Brit Emb called on Byroade Sept 9 to express Brit concern failure Dept consult London before issuance Dept reply press inquiry Sept 8. Steel asserted Egypt constantly striving drive wedge between Brit and Amer and this instance illustrated tactic which might now be exploited. Apparently different assessments Egypt sit existed London and Washington and it could have been possible that at same time US praising current Egypt regime London might have been issuing press statement with very different tone.
Byroade replied he felt very little if any harm could have been done by furnishing Dept press officer with necessary answer to inevitable question which in any case could not have been brought London’s attn in time. He stressed Dept’s complete confidence Caffery’s assessment Egypt sit and indicated Dept’s conviction adoption [Page 1860] attitude of reserve preferred by Brit would have helped no one includ Brit but would have merely dashed cold water on close current US–Egypt relations to disadvantage both US and UK. US felt Naguib regime not extremist although impatiently reformist, and deserved our general encouragement.
Steel did not pursue matter very intently and appeared not excessively disturbed. Byroade pointed out US–UK basic objectives Egypt really the same.
- Repeated to London as telegram 1747. Drafted and approved by Parker T. Hart, Director of the Office of Near Eastern Affairs.↩