641.74/6–1753: Telegram
No. 1186
The Secretary of
State to the Embassy in the United
Kingdom
8010. For the Ambassador. In connection with the President’s reply1 to Churchill’s June 15 message and instructions on Egypt being cabled to you2 Department is airpouching (1) Churchill’s message (2) General Robertson’s memo which was appended3 (3) Under Secretary’s memo of March 103 setting out his understanding of US–UK agreement on negotiating flexibility between Cases A and B.4 This agreement is referred to in today’s instructions. If Items (1) and (2) above not available through Foreign Office and required urgently, they will be cabled on request.
[Page 2098]Re Item (3): During March talks Eden received a very strong telegram from Churchill objecting to any compromise with Case A. This discussed at length between Under Secretary and Eden and Churchill finally assented. Following is substantive portion of Item (3):
“We had rather long talk during which I pointed out that British apprehension with regard to second alternative (B) was largely matter of interpretation of most desirable result; i.e. base in continuous operation immediately available on D-Day, and less desirable but acceptable alternative of base which could be put in effective operation within 60 days. I left quite certain British would agree to this since I was sure views expressed in Prime Minister’s cable were his alone and not as he indicated those of Slim and Alexander. Monday morning, a few minutes before our meeting with the President, the Prime Minister agreed to this arrangement which was accepted by the President as a negotiable basis. The President indicated that our military representatives should arrange to ensure ‘proper technical supervision and inspection’ of communications and other heavy installations at the base.”
- Transmitted in telegram 8011, infra.↩
- See telegram 8013 to London, Document 1188.↩
- Not printed.↩
- Not printed.↩
- See Document 1061.↩