774.5 MSP/9–252
No. 1003
The Secretary of
State to the Secretary of Defense (Lovett)
My Dear Mr. Secretary: I refer to correspondence between the Department of Defense and this Department concerning the desire of the Egyptian Government to purchase police equipment in this [Page 1853] country. It will be recalled that an agreement under Section 408(e) of the DAA of 1949, as amended, was reached with the Egyptian Government whereby it could purchase certain equipment with the United States Government’s assistance.
The Department of Defense has been most cooperative in making available the equipment desired by Egypt. However, as a result of the coup d’état of July 23, 1952 it was decided to suspend action on this project pending clarification of the situation.
This Department has now received an urgent communication from Ambassador Caffery in Cairo to the effect that the Egyptian Prime Minister is most anxious to have this project completed.1 This Department considers that it is in the interest of the United States that the Government of Ali Maher be supported and that the internal security arrangements of Egypt be strengthened. Efforts of the present Egyptian regime to stabilize the situation have been encouraging and we believe that evidence of a friendly attitude, both morally and materially, would make more hopeful the prospects of obtaining Egyptian cooperation with the West.
Consequently, this Department would appreciate it if the Department of Defense would reinstate the police equipment project and grant to it the priorities which were granted at the time the project was originally conceived. This Department will be glad to cooperate with the Department of Defense in arranging the details.
Sincerely yours,
Deputy Under Secretary
- Under reference is telegram 497 from Cairo, Aug. 28, not printed. (774.00/82852)↩