641.74/7–053: Telegram
No. 1201
The Ambassador in Egypt (Caffery) to the
Department of State
top secret
niact
niact
Cairo, July 10, 1953—9
p.m.
43. For the Secretary. I offer following comments in connection with developments subsequent receipt your telegram 24.
- 1.
- Abd Al Nasir managed to secure RCC approval for proposals contained my telegram 35 by bare majority only. Major General Amir, new Commander-in-Chief, remarked that if this effort fails to secure agreement from British, then “other party” in the RCC who believes that British will never leave unless driven out “will obviously have things their way”. He added that Egyptians will never again sit down to formal negotiations with British except to put seal on an agreement which had been worked out informally, as this, in advance and that in any event, they would never go beyond this. Thus, if British continue to make mistake of thinking they can secure better agreement later by standing fast, there will almost certainly be serious attempts at sabotage in the Canal Zone, although I am convinced that RCC will exert every effort to prevent violence against British civilians in rest of Egypt.
- 2.
- Egyptians appreciate our efforts to assist in bringing about Anglo-Egyptian settlement. In entering into active mediation, however, we have, in their eyes, assumed legal obligation not to let them down. Although Egyptians realize we cannot dictate settlement to the British, they will expect United States to make vigorous attempt to persuade British to settle for the terms offered. In this connection, they assert they have adopted Department’s formula with minimum of changes. (Insistence on three-year period stems from RCC’s unwillingness to have arrangements for direct British technical control extend beyond end of the transitional period of nonconstitutional rule.)
Caffery