Editorial Note
Telegram 56 from Benghazi, September 9, 1954, informed the Department of State that the Base Agreement had been signed at 11 a. m., local time, on that date. Despatch 38 from Benghazi, September 14, transmitted to the Department the originals or certified copies of all documents concerned in the signing. Among them were a copy of a note, dated September 9, by the Chargé to the Prime Minister with respect to the supersession of the notes of December 24, 1951; together with the original reply by the Prime Minister, in Arabic, also dated September 9, and a translation of the foregoing. Also included were Memoranda of Understanding of ten Articles and two Annexes to the Agreement. Despatch 48 from Benghazi, October 4, contained a detailed account of the final negotiation of the Agreement, covering the period from July 20, the last day of negotiations in Washington, to September 9, the day of the signing. Documentation on this topic is in Department of State file 711.56373.
Telegram 92 from Benghazi, October 15, 1954, informed the Department of State that the Libyan Chamber of Deputies had approved the Base Agreement by a vote of 39 to 12, with 4 absent. Telegram 96 from Benghazi, October 17, reported that the Libyan Senate had approved the Agreement that morning by a vote of 15 to 4, with 5 absent. Telegram 105 from Benghazi, October 21, reported that the King had ratified the Agreement on October 20, and the last formality was the receipt of a note from the Libyan Government. Benghazi telegram 113, October 30, reported that precisely at noon on that date the Prime Minister had delivered a note informing the Legation that the Base Agreement had been ratified according to Libyan constitutional procedures. The Agreement, therefore, came into force at that time. Despatch 62 from Benghazi, November 5, transmitted a copy of the October 30 note, together with a copy of the Chargé’s reply of the same date. Despatch 65 from Benghazi, November 5, contained a detailed account of the events leading to the final ratification of the Agreement. It covered the events that took place from the signing of the Agreement on September 9 to the final ratification on October 30. Documentation is in Department of State file 711.56373.
The text of the Agreement is printed in TIAS No. 3107; 5 UST (pt. 3) 2449.