741.56374/6–1254: Circular airgram
No. 1334
The Secretary of
State to the Embassy in the United
Kingdom1
CA–7323. Subject: Anglo-Egyptian Negotiations. Reference is made to Embassy Despatch No. 3966 of June 4, 1954.2 The Department is deeply impressed with the need for moving quickly on the Suez Base negotiations. It finds disturbing the indication that, following cabinet approval of the “new” (March 17) proposals, the Foreign Office contemplates engaging in further discussion with this Government “regarding the manner in which the proposals should be put to the Egyptians”.
The Department has indicated its views on this subject (Deptels 5163 of April 3 and 5367 of April 12). Without commenting in detail, a Foreign Office official indicated on April 13 that these [Page 2274] views were “very much in line” with those of the Foreign Office (Embtel 4529, April 13).3
The Department believes that if the Foreign Office considers it essential to have further discussions concerning the manner in which the proposals are to be put to the Egyptians, such discussions should be initiated immediately, in order to avoid delay on this matter in addition to the considerable delay now ensuing because of Mr. Eden’s absence at Geneva.
For the Embassy’s information only, insistence on a further period of discussion of the subject of tactics, to begin only after cabinet approval of the proposals, would raise anew in the Department the question of whether the British still wish to carry out the “new. proposals, and will call for re-examination of the policy of withholding economic assistance to Egypt.
The Department is puzzled by the suggestion of the Foreign Office that it will be appropriate to discuss the question of a tripartite agreement for the maintenance of the base prior to giving the Egyptians an opportunity to express their views on this question. The Department is willing to consider such an arrangement only if United States participation is requested by both Egypt and the United Kingdom. This position has been consistently expressed to the Foreign Office since the new proposals were advanced (Deptels 4863 of March 20, 5580 of April 22 and 5751 of April 29). The Department is not prepared to go beyond its position as stated in numbered paragraph 7 of the Draft Memorandum of Understanding enclosed with Instruction CA–6247. The Department believes that there will be adequate opportunity to discuss this problem following the initial presentation of the British proposals to Egypt and receipt of official indication of the Egyptian position on this aspect of the proposal.
The Embassy is requested, at its discretion, to inform the Foreign Office of the Department’s views as given above, with the exception of the paragraph “for the Embassy’s information only”.
- Repeated to Cairo; approved by Byroade.↩
- Not printed.↩
- Not printed; see footnote 3, Document 1320.↩