Office of the Historian

780.5/11–1852: Telegram

No. 1029
The Acting Secretary of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom1

secret
priority
Washington, November 18, 1952—8:06 p.m.

3409. Dept handed fol Aide-Mémoire to the Brit Amb Nov 18:

Verbatim Text.

  • “1. The Secretary of State transmits for the information of the British Government the text of a memorandum handed to the United States Ambassador in Cairo by the Egyptian Government on November 10, 1952.2 This communication is the reply to a memorandum delivered by the United States Ambassador to the Egyptian Government on October 6, 1952.3 It will be recalled that this memorandum was discussed with the British Government prior to its delivery. There is also transmitted Annex I of the Egyptian memorandum which sets forth requirements for the Egyptian Army and Air Force.4 Annex II which deals with economic assistance has not yet been compiled, but Ambassador Caffery has been informed that it will be forthcoming in the near future.
  • 2. The United States Government has given careful consideration to the Egyptian memorandum and believes that while it is not as forthcoming as might be wished, it nevertheless provides the basis for a limited program of assistance at this time with the object of supporting and strengthening the present regime.
  • 3. The United States Government considers it most important that such evidence of support be given without delay. While recent United Kingdom approval for the shipment of 15 Jet Aircraft is a valuable contribution in this respect, the United States Government believes that it also must take positive action in support of the Naguib Government beyond the mere approval of export licenses for a limited amount of commercial police equipment.
  • 4. Consequently, the United States Government intends to inform the Egyptian Government that it is willing to make available for the use of the Egyptian Armed Forces that equipment which was originally intended for special Egyptian Police Units and which was to come from United States Government stocks. A list of this equipment is attached.5 This equipment would be offered to Egypt on a cash-reimbursable basis following the conclusion of an exchange of notes which would expand the present MDAP agreement with Egypt to include military equipment in general in addition to police equipment.
  • 5. The United States Government wishes to make clear that the equipment referred to in Paragraph 4 is in the nature of token assistance. The larger lists (Annex I to the Egyptian memorandum of November 10) are being considered within the United States Government and action on them will depend in large measure upon the development of the approach which was suggested in the Aide-Mémoire handed to His Excellency the British Ambassador on November 5, 1952.6 The United States will wish to keep in close touch with the United Kingdom in this connection. It is the expectation of the United States Government that it will be possible to develop this approach in the near future and that the token assistance mentioned in Paragraph 4 would in fact become the first installment in a more general program of assistance to the present Egyptian regime.
  • 6. In discussions with Egyptian authorities with respect to the exchange of communications with General Naguib, every effort has been made by United States representatives to stress the fact that Egypt must continue to look to its habitual sources of supply for military equipment. It has also been emphasized to the Egyptian authorities that any program of assistance must be within the framework of eventual Egyptian participation in common defense planning. The United States Government is convinced that the Egyptian memorandum of November 10 and developments in connection with the Anglo-Egyptian questions are encouraging signs and that positive support to General Naguib is essential to the continuation of the present favorable trend.”

FYI, only addition to Police Equipment from Govt stocks is 5 to 10,000 steel helmets.

The Brit Amb said that while FonOff wld probably not be happy over US proposal, he believed it wld understand reasoning leading us to this conclusion. He also requested confirmation that beyond [Page 1887] this token assistance US did not intend to embark upon larger program until more detailed approach re Base and MEDO worked out and Egypt attitude clarified. He also requested confirmation US wld continue support UK posit on arms supply to Egypt in NAC and other arms supplying countries such as Switzerland. Dept confirmed both assumptions.

Re interim Brit reply (Depcirtel 539, Nov 12)7 US Aide-Mémoire, Nov 5 (Deptel 3155, Nov 5),8 Brit Amb said UK concerned Egyptians wld not agree to discussions re common defense planning until Brit evacuation completed. Cursory examination Naguib reply Nov 10 seemed, in Brit Amb’s opinion, lend weight UK concern. Deptl reps replied US had envisaged that secret approach as suggested Dept’s Aide-Mémoire Nov 5 wld remove this concern as we wld hope secret agreement wld be reached before any public action necessary on either evacuation or Egyptian participation common defense planning. Dept said much wld depend upon developments during negots and indicated our belief Naguib msg left way clear for approach suggested to UK Nov 5.

Brit Amb expressed hope that US and UK views on timing cld be brought closer together and confirmed that Brit Chiefs of Staff now giving consideration to importance Canal Zone Base and future UK attitude this problem.

FYI Emb: Dept’s present intention is to inform Egypt Govt re offer of equipment and suggest exchange notes within next few days. Emb Cairo will receive further instru this regard.

Bruce
  1. Repeated to Cairo as telegram 1040 and to Paris as telegram Topol 396.↩
  2. See telegram 1167 from Cairo, Document 1024.↩
  3. See telegrams 678 and 699 to Cairo, Documents 1012 and 1013.↩
  4. Not printed, but it was attached to the Department of State file copy of this aide-mémoire. (774.5 MSP/11–1852)↩
  5. Not printed; it was attached to the Department of State file copy of this aide-mémoire. (774.5 MSP/11–1852)↩
  6. For text, see Document 105.↩
  7. Not printed; in circular telegram 539, Nov. 12, the Department transmitted an account of a conversation with British Embassy officials during which the British conveyed their interim reply. (780.5/11–1252) In that reply, the British expressed the desire that a program of military and economic aid to Egypt should be linked with an acceptance by Egypt of the principle of joint defense, preferably worked out through MEDO. For the memorandum of conversation of that meeting, see Document 106.↩
  8. Not printed; telegram 3155 to London, Nov. 5, transmitted the text of the aide-mémoire to the Embassy. (780.5/11–1252)↩