780.5/11–2552: Telegram
No. 1033
The Ambassador in Egypt (Caffery) to the
Department of State1
[Received 5:38 p.m.]
1295. Re mytel 1282, Nov 24.2 I delivered Dept’s message re police equip to Naguib3 this evening. He said “although this is the so much discussed police equip I am most appreciative and I ask you to tell the State Dept so.”
He then reiterated what he has frequently said before that he would cordially welcome from us definite gesture in way of mil or econ aid which he could present to the people as proof of our good intentions and as giving the lie to statements which are being circulated here by word of mouth in the press and by clandestine pamphlets to the effect that our good will goes no further than words, etc. He reiterated that Commies, the Wafd and the Moslem Brethren are trying hard to upset this regime. He repeated that his regime is opposed to communism, is determined not to be allied with Moslem Bros cannot coop with Wafd. He spoke also as so many others have done in recent days about critical cotton sitn.
He said that some progress is being made with Brit on Sudan but he is convinced that the Sudanese admin is doing everything to [Page 1895] delay, that the London FonOff tactics seem to be delaying tactics also. He denies the Brit contention that in his agreement with the Mahdi the comm with GovGen was to be merely advisory. He says there is no difference between his agreement with the Mahdi and his pertinent note to the Brit.
He wound up by saying “I may be dreaming but if you could find a way to let us have 100 tanks various doors would be opened including one leading to Middle Eastern Defense.”
- Repeated to London as telegram 443 and unnumbered to Paris for Reinhardt and to Rome for Unger.↩
- Not printed.↩
- The reference presumably is to telegram 1070 to Cairo, Nov. 21, not printed, in which the Department sent Caffery the list of police equipment which the United States was willing to make available to Egypt on a cash reimbursement basis. (780.5/11–2152)↩