Office of the Historian

774.5/1–1653: Telegram

No. 1082
The Secretary of State to the Embassy in the United Kingdom1

secret
Washington, January 19, 1953—12:51 p.m.

4781. You may assure Foreign Office (Embtel 3919 Jan 16)2 that we still in agreement that all elements of package as outlined in Paper No. 3 in “U.S.-U.K. Talks on Egypt” should be linked together and that aim negotiations should be achievement these objectives.3 Stabler read Cairo’s 1599 Jan 84 simply to emphasize Caffery’s views, which we share, that emphasis and order of items discussed with Egyptians most important and that it would be prejudicial to success of negotiations if we endeavored in advance of negotiations to determine with rigidity how we should proceed at some unknown date. Stabler recalls that during his conversations [Page 1967] with Allan on Jan 9 and Bowker on Jan 10 he endeavored make point that while elements should be linked, precise tactics for negotiations would be governed in large measure by degree of receptivity of Egyptians to proposals when negotiations first opened.

FYI Papers on “U.S.–U.K. Talks on Egypt” are being transmitted to Defense for approval on Jan 19.5 We hope to be able to obtain USG decision re papers within ten days or so. End FYI.6

Acheson
  1. Repeated to Cairo as telegram 1442.↩
  2. In telegram 3919 from London, Jan. 16, not printed, Ambassador Gifford reported that Sir James Bowker of the Foreign Office, acting on special orders from Eden, referred to Stabler’s visit to the Foreign Office on either Jan. 9 or 10, at which time Stabler read telegram 1599 from Cairo. The contents of this telegram concerned Eden, who wanted the United States to know that in the view of the United Kingdom, all the elements of the package as outlined in telegram 3643 from London, Document 1069, should be linked together; that points a and b would not be negotiated without being connected with points c, d, and e. (774.5/1–1653)↩

  3. The objectives referred to in Paper No. 3, “Procedure for Negotiating Defence Agreement with Egypt”, of the United States–United Kingdom Talks read as follows:

    “Objectives of the United Kingdom and United States Governments

    “1. The Governments of the United Kingdom and the United States intend to enter into negotiation with the Egyptian Government in order to secure the voluntary association of Egypt with the West in arrangements for the defence of the Middle East against outside aggression. They will therefore propose a general settlement comprising:—

    • “(a) a phased withdrawal of the British armed forces from Egyptian territory;
    • “(b) the maintenance of the Canal Zone Base in peace with a view to its immediate reactivation in the event of war (see Annex);
    • “(c) an arrangement for the air defence of Egypt;
    • “(d) the participation of Egypt in a Middle East Defence Organisation; and
    • “(e) a programme of military and economic assistance to Egypt.” (774.5/1–1453) In addition, see telegram 3643 from London, Document 1069.
    ↩
  4. Not printed. (774.5/1–853)↩
  5. The papers from the United States–United Kingdom Talks were transmitted to the Department of Defense under cover of a letter from Secretary of State Acheson to Secretary of Defense Lovett dated Jan. 19, not printed. (780.5/1–1953)↩
  6. The Department informed the Embassy in London on Feb. 17 in telegram 5460, not printed, that the Department of Defense had advised the Department of State that the Joint Chiefs of Staff were in general accord with those portions of the agreed positions set forth in papers 1 to 5 inclusive which had military implications. Moreover, the Department instructed the Embassy to consider this telegram to be the formal U.S. Government approval of the general positions agreed to during the course of the London talks. (780.5/2–1753)↩