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OCR Page 1 of 175/16/54 - Recl 6, Track 2 Page 1
MR. MCGHEE:
but of the alternative. The issues now standing are pretty thin
issues. The two basic issues are: To the British people vho stay
wear uniform, which is curiously built up into fantastic importance on
both sidea; and under what conditions could thePritish come back? Is it
war in which Turkey is involved, or is it war in which nly their states
are involved, which of course is a very fine point. I think you must
!reep one thing in mind, that in the background of the British and the
French and their dealings with any Middle East or North African problen
is the tradition that being a North African or Middle East power is a
symbol of prestige. And European countries necessarily truck in prestige
TRUMAN
and it is a factor, I think, we should, not deprecate. If we want to
us
and
keep them going, we have to allow them to consider this prestige factor.
It's Napoleonic thing and all this business adds up to the fact that
being a Middle East power means something to the British, from the
standpoint of their national morale. Now the question of the base and
its military value is a military problem. During the entire time we
were there, the British took the position that it hnd paramount militery
importance in the event of future defense of the Middle Tast. Part of
that was, I think, thinicing of terns of the past wars, which may not be
duplicated in the next war, but novertheless, that view was always shared
by our doint Ghiefs, so during our period, no matter what the British
may sey, we never questioned the fact that it was important to hold the
base. And nothing
evez said, I am sure to the Egyptians,
ever brolm that line, and nothing I ever said to the Egyptians ever broke
that line. I remember your talking to the Egyptian foreign minister when
he was there.
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