Memorandum, State Department Summary of Telegrams

NLT(Naval Aide) 270 the OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE DECLASSIFIED WASHINGTON State Dept. Guidelines, March 6, 1982 E.O. 12065, Sec. 3-402 October 25, 1951 By DEB NLT, Date 9-5-85 S E T SUMMARY OF TELEGRAMS EGYPT Ambassador Caffery flew to Alexandria yesterday at the request of King Farouk for a conversation with the latter. The King spoke first of the British action in cutting off fuel oil to Egypt. Farouk narrated in great detail all the dire consequences, including eventually a revolution, which this would bring about. Caffery was able to tell him that the shipments had already recommenced. Farouk went on to criticize the British heatedly and said that they were making it impossible for him or any Egyptian Government to accept a satisfactory solution of either the defense problem or the Sudan question. Caffery replied that the British military authorities in the Canal Zone were having a difficult time and were justified in going even beyond the strictly necessary in order to defend their position. Caffery also re- minded Farouk how frivolously the Egyptians had handled our proposals for the Middle East Command and that their only endeavor was to have a domestic political tripumh. Farouk admitted that this had been so. Farouk then told Caffery most confidentially that his Government was planning to send the Foreign Minister to Paris to head the delegation to the General Assembly, but that he had decided that the Foreign Minister would do no good there and that he would send Fawzi Bey instead. Farouk also said that if the British attempted to remove Egyptian troops from the Canal Zone he would order them to resist. He also said that he had a spy at a recent Moslem Brotherhood meeting where oaths were taken to kill thirteen men--Farouk being the first on the list and the Foreign Minister the second. ITALY-EGYPT In a speech to the Italian Senate last week Prime Min - ister de Gasperi spoke of the nglo-Egyptian crisis in very neutral terms and concluded by saying that Italy would be happy if the occasion arose in which it could help to conciliate the just aspira- - tions of the Eastern Mediterranean peoples with the necessary defense of their common Mediterranean civilization. Subsequently, the Egyptian Ambassador in Rome called on de Gasperi to express his appreciation for his references to Egypt and asked if de Gasperi had any concrete TSERET