Memorandum, State Department Summary of Telegrams

the OFFICE OF DECLASSIFIED THE SECRETARY OF STATE State E.O. 12065, Guidelines, Sec. March 3-402 6, 1982 WASHINGTON By Dept. DEB NLT, Date 9-10-84 September 12, 1952 SECRET SECURITY INFORMATION SUMMARY OF TELEGRAMS EGYPT: General Naguib received a visiting State Department officer and several members of the Embassy staff Wednesday morning, keeping an appointment with them which was made prior to his assumption of duties as prime minister. Naguib confirmed in every respect our Embassy's previous conviction that his entire energies are concentrated on the problem of complete domestic reform. He said, however, that he intended to move cautiously, explaining that the land reform was immensely difficult and that he would begin in the first year by taking lands in which the royal family had no vested interests. Naguib said that his de- cree for the reformation of political parties did not necessarily mean the abolishment of parties, but was intended to establish rules whereby the parties would be under some form of surveil- lance and control. When queried whether the Moslem Brotherhood was a political party, Naguib at first said yes, but then hesitated and sought to draw a distinction between its religious aspects and those portions of its program which dealt with political and social affairs. Naguib said he valued the cooperative spirit which the US had shown toward him, and he volunteered the remark that he was ready to hold out his hand toward the British. He said that he was not inti-British, but it could be understood how all Egyptians felt who wanted real independence. In discussing the current situation with the Depart- mental officer visiting Cairo, British Ambassador Stevenson re- marked "personally and confidentially" that he believed the Foreign Office in London had "blown up'' over the recent American press statement supporting Naguib. He said he thought the Foreign Office had been particularly disturbed by recent Cairo radio re- ports indicating a split between the US and the UK. He did not feel that the Foreign Office excitement was justified, although he felt that it was most important that the US and the UK should get back into step on the Egyptian situation. Stevenson said that he had made a courtesy call on Foreign Minister Farag on Tuesday, during which he told Farag that the UK was ready to take up either the defense question or the Sudan question or both whenever Egypt was ready. SECRET SECURITY INFORMA TION