Office of the Historian

774.56/4–2253: Telegram

No. 1147
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Holmes) to the Department of State1

secret
London, April 22, 1953—2 p.m.

5731. We learn from Foreign Office that it will probably be instructing its Embassy in Washington shortly to raise with Department its concern re US proposal train 50 jet pilots (Deptel 6252, [Page 2051] March 19).2 Foreign Office’s concern arises from (1) military considerations (which Embassy has emphasized would be of little significance), (2) effect on UK bargaining position in negotiations with Egypt, and (3) encouragement to Egypt to turn to US as source supply for jet aircraft.

Embassy also understands that British comments on latest interim arms list (Deptel 6804, April 14) will probably take form of “high level communication” to be delivered early next week.3 Foreign Office now appears concerned re delivery periods for armored cars and amount of ammunition, in addition to more general considerations such as those outlined above.

Holmes
  1. Repeated to Cairo as telegram 305.↩
  2. Not printed. In telegram 7012 to London on Apr. 23, not printed, the Department informed the Embassy that it had already been approached about the jet pilot training by the British Embassy, but that the Department had held out no hope that the training offer would be withdrawn. (774.56/4–2253)↩
  3. The Embassy in London informed the Department on Apr. 29 in telegram 5846, not printed, that the Foreign Office said that it hoped to be in a position to give the Embassy its comments on the Egyptian arms list within the next day or so. (774.56/4–2953)↩