Memorandum, State Department Summary of Telegrams

NLT(Maual A.del260 OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE WASHINGTON October 10,1951 State DEB Dept. NLT, Date HOPSBGRE E.O. 9-5-85 6, 1982 By SUMMARY OF TELEGRAMS EGYPT The Egyptian Ambassador called on the Sec- retary yesterday and explained that the intro- - duction of the treaty abrogation legislation was based on the need for some action to assuage public and parliamentary demand. He said the proposed legislation would not be pressed in Parliament and might run on until November 17 or later. He maintained his Government is delib- erately putting the preliminaries for abrogation in motion in order to have time to receive and consider our multilateral proposals "1"to which it at- taches the greatest importance". The Secretary replied that he was glad to learn that the Government did not intend to press the legislation rapidly, particularly since Embassy Cairo had reported, to the contrary, that Parliament would remain in session in order to speed its passage. He said that the US attaches great importance to the proposals which the Egyptian Government will receive shortly and he hoped Egypt would give them the earnest and serious consideration they merit. In Cairo the British Ambassador was received by the King yesterday at noon. The King said he had signed the necessary papers for the initiation of the abrogation legislation "with a heavy heart", but that he had no alternative as he could not stand against the whole coun- try. The King said the step had been necessary primarily for domestic political reasons and secondarily to divert the nation's mind from the cor- ruption in the government and the government's failure to carry out its electoral promises, etc. The King promised, however, that the govern- ment would "show restraint", would prevent unseemly "incidents", and would not attempt to cut off food supplies from British troops. Ambassador Caffery believes that the govern- ment has all along wanted to abrogate the treaty and decided in principle weeks ago to do so. The exact timing was set when it was because it was afraid that the new Allied multilateral proposals might prove accept- able to the King. TOPSECRE