Memorandum from Dean Acheson to President Harry S. Truman

for SECRET DEPARTMENT OF STATE WASHINGTON February 18, 1947 MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT Subject: Conversations with Crown Prince Saud of Saudi Arabia At noon on Tuesday, February 18, Crown Prince Saud of Saudi Arabia will call at the White House to say goodbye to you. As you remember, he was your guest at luncheon on January 16th. Since then he has been to New York and made an extended tour throughout the United States including visits to Kansas City, Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago and Detroit. The trip was made. almost entirely by air and the Prince piloted the Constellation himself on several occasions. Prince Saud has indicated that the sights which interested him the most on the trip were Boulder Dam, the steel works of Gary, Indiana, the Ford Plant in Detroit, and various irrigation projects in the south west. The following are the three most important points raised by the Prince when he was in Washington in January: (1) A fear that the British are behind King Abdullah's (of Transjordan) plans for a Greater Syria which might include Transjordan, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and part of Palestine. The Crown Prince was assured that the United States would support the integrity and independence of the countries of the Near East in the United Nations in the event these countries should be threatened by aggression. On February 11 a top secret message was received from Minister Childs in Jidda, transmitting a message just received from King Ibn Saud to the effect that the King had obtained definite information that the British Government was planning to have King Abdullah made ruler of Greater Syria. King Ibn Saud asked that the United States Government intervene in this matter immediately. As a result of this, the Charge 'Affaires of the American Embassy in London has been instructed to approach the British Foreign Office. Without D.CL SSIFIED E. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or (a) Dept. of State letter, Aug. 9, 1973 copy filied Stay. 2 state By NLT- He NARS Date 7-8-76