Office of the Historian

641.74/8–2553: Telegram

No. 1213
The Ambassador in Egypt (Caffery) to the Department of State1

secret
Cairo, August 25, 1953—3 p.m.

253. British Embassy today supplied following re British-Egyptian talks yesterday (Embassy’s 250).2

1.
For Egyptian Foreign Minister Fawzi, Nasir and Hakim Amir; for UK Hankey, Robertson and Brig Dove. After unsuccessful attempt get Egyptians to express their views Robertson advanced substance new British formula London’s 7453 without giving text [Page 2129] to Egyptians. Egyptians rejected inclusion Turkey and Iran stating flatly that on political grounds they could not go beyond “members Arab League Collective Security Pact”: Egypt would be willing to “consult” if Turkey attacked and would accept reactivation of base in case UN decision calling for armed action. According British Embassy Robertson believes “we are not far off on availability” provided London does not insist on inclusion of Turkey.
2.
Robertson now considers most serious question to be dealt with is that of duration of agreement together with numbers and duration of stay of technicians. UK for first time advanced their ideas on these matters in detail. UK asked for 10 years agreement with technicians to stay concurrently. Egyptians refused this. UK then proposed 10 year agreement with 4000 technicians for 5 years, this number to be tapered off thereafter. Egyptians suggested 5 year agreement with technicians for 3 years. Robertson replied this impossible if base is to have real military value and urged Egyptians to be forthcoming.
3.
Egyptians were “filled with gloom” when British advanced idea that all agreement times must start after British evacuation completed. UK said it was practical impossibility to work out technician pattern while British forces still there. Robertson estimated evacuation would require two years although he hinted this time might be slightly shortened. (British Embassy states 18 months now considered absolute minimum.) Egyptians stated that they had always assumed agreement would run from date of signature and that 6 months adequate period for evacuation. Both sides agreed meet August 27.
Caffery
  1. Repeated to London as telegram 84.↩
  2. Not printed.↩

  3. Ambassador Aldrich reported in telegram 745, Aug. 21, not printed, that the British Foreign Office had just given him a revised Canal Zone base reactivation formula, which was to be put to the Egyptians at the next meeting in Cairo:

    “In the event of United Nations action to resist an act of aggression, or in the event of an attack on any Arab country by an outside power, the base area shall be at the full disposal of the UK. An attack on Turkey shall be regarded as an attack on an Arab country for the purposes of this agreement. In the event of an attack on Persia, or in the event of a threat of an attack on any of the above-mentioned countries, there shall be immediate consultation between the UK and Egypt.” (741.56374/8–2153)

    ↩