269. Editorial Note
A message of February 5 from King Saud to President Eisenhower expressed pleasure in his meetings with Eisenhower and indicated the importance he attached to those meetings and the related U.S.-Saudi discussions but expressed dissatisfaction with the U.S. proposals for military and economic assistance. (Department of State, Central Files, 786A.56/2–557) The President replied in a letter of the same date which reads in part as follows: [Page 466]
“I have had the impression that the military program we are proposing is a substantial one. However, in reply to your letter I assure you that I shall look further into the details at once.
“I do hope you will not minimize in your own mind the importance of the training function. This is a long, even tedious, process. To perform this part of the work necessary to the development of an army, reconditioned equipment should be as good as the most expensive. I believe it would be to your advantage to avoid wear and tear on combat equipment while the troops are learning fundamentals.” (Ibid., Conference Files: Lot 62 D 181, CF 833)