Office of the Historian

786A.5MAP/4–350: Telegram

The Chief of Staff of the United States Army (Collins) to the Vice Chief of Staff of the United States Army (Haislip)1

secret
priority
Jidda, April 3, 1950—5 p. m.

194. Personal for Haislip from Collins. Reference WAR 81319, 31 March.2 Provided it appears likely favorable action will be taken this session Congress to provide reimbursable aid for Saudi Arabia under FY 51 MDAP legislation and provided prior assurances such favorable action is obtained from appropriate Congressional leaders, recommend that JCS authorize token shipment 5,000 rifles with ammunition on loan basis to be chargeable later Saudi Arabia as part of aid program. Recommend furthermore token shipment be made in case it becomes evident to State Department that no satisfactory interim agreement can otherwise be reached for use Dhahran air base. Suggest that necessity of token shipment be left to discretion Ambassador Childs. In this connection Ambassador Childs and General O’Keefe inform me that possibility exists of reaching acceptable interim extension for period of 6 to 9 months without loan of equipment prior to Congressional action. If it appears MDAP bill permitting reimbursable aid to Saudi Arabia will not be acceptable to leaders of Congress, I consider it inadvisable for JCS to commit themselves to token shipment at this time.

[Collins]

  1. The source text was transmitted as telegram 194, April 3, from Jidda, and was relayed to the Department of the Army for Gen. Wade Haislip at 10:30 p. m.

    Saudi Arabia was one of the places visited by Collins during an inspection trip he made to the Middle East from March 20 to April 8. For more information, see excerpt of his report, p. 1158.

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  2. Not found in Department of State files.↩