Conference files, lot 60 D 627, CF 210
No. 1276
The Secretary of
State to the Department of
State1
Secto 79. Following Bidault’s departure from tripartite meeting, Eden said to Secretary that joint appraisal from United States–United Kingdom–Embassy Cairo due tomorrow2 and he would then see what could be done.
Secretary said we are still holding up economic aid to Egypt and cannot do so much longer. Planes which United Kingdom recently planned for Israel have not helped matters with respect to economic aid for Egypt. Eden replied he was under impression planes were Mosquitoes and not very important, but perhaps they were meteor jets. He would let me know. He then said United Kingdom was sending 6 night fighters to Syria and had offered to hold up delivery if United States held up delivery military items to Saudi Arabia.3 Secretary expressed personal view it desirable work out some kind of system between United States and United Kingdom, which would result in better coordination of deliveries of military equipment to Middle East. Referring back to Saudi Arabia, Eden said he hoped to have some new proposals regarding terms of arbitration for Saudis “in the next week or so”.4
- Repeated to London as telegram 119, to Jidda as telegram 1, and to Cairo as telegram 1. The Secretary of State was in Berlin as the head of the U.S. Delegation to the Four-Power Conference. Documentation regarding this conference is scheduled for publication in volume VII.↩
- See telegram 871 from Cairo, Feb. 4, infra.↩
- For documentation regarding U.S. relations with Saudi Arabia, see Documents 1432 ff.↩
- For documentation concerning U.S. interest in the Buraimi Oasis dispute between the United Kingdom and Saudi Arabia, see Documents 1466 ff.↩