BRITISH EMBASSY,
WASHINGTON, D.C.
BY SAFE HAND
October 18, 1941.
Ref: 3425/2/41
My dear We!les,
I have been asked to give you the following
message from Sir Alexander Carlogan:-
'We are considering the early publication of a
declaration to the effect that after the war the
Senussis in Cyrenaica shall in no circumstances again
fall under Italian domination.
"The Senussis have suffered much from
Italian oppression during the last twenty years. Soon after
the collapse of France, a British Senussi force
was raised from Senussi exiles, which performed valuable
ancillary duties in Cyrenaica and is still serving in
the western desert. Their offer of service with us
was made unconditionally but lately they have endeavoured
to extract some undertaking from us as to their future status.
"The above is, we feel, all that we can say at the
moment. I feel bound to tell you, as this declaration
might be represented as a commitment."
Yours very sincerely,
HALIFAX
The Honourable
Sumner Welles,
Under-Secretary of State of the United States,
Washington, D.C.