FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES: DIPLOMATIC PAPERS, 1943, THE NEAR EAST AND AFRICA, VOLUME IV

Letter by President Roosevelt to the Lend-Lease Administrator (Stettinius)

Washington, February 18, 1943.

“My Dear Mr. Stettinius: For purposes of implementing the authority conferred upon you as Lend-Lease Administrator by Executive Order No. 8926, dated October 28, 1941, and in order to enable you to arrange for Lend-Lease aid to the Government of Saudi Arabia, I hereby find that the defense of Saudi Arabia is vital to the defense of the United States.

Sincerely yours,

Franklin D. Roosevelt”

FOREIGN RELATIONS OF THE UNITED STATES: DIPLOMATIC PAPERS, 1945, THE NEAR EAST AND AFRICA, VOLUME VIII

Draft Memorandum to President Truman. Prepared by the Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs, Gordon Merriam, and submitted to the Director of the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs (Henderson) early in August 1945:

“In Saudi Arabia, where the oil resources constitute a stupendous source of strategic power, and one of the greatest material prizes in world history, a concession covering this oil is nominally in American control. It will undoubtedly be lost to the United States unless this Government is able to demonstrate in a practical way its recognition of this concession as of national interest by acceding to the reasonable requests of King Ibn Saud that he be assisted temporarily in his economic and financial difficulties until the exploitation of the concession, on a practical commercial basis, begins to bring substantial royalties to Saudi Arabia.“

One of Franklin Roosevelt’s closest advisors, Adolf A. Berle, wrote to Robert Hooker in the State Department stating that controlling Middle East oil reserves meant obtaining “substantial control of the world.”

“While everyone is looking at MacArthur, this Middle Eastern territory is quietly being prepared for absorption. Wars have been won with both the Far East and the Continent of Europe pretty well dominated by hostile force; but the control of the Middle East has usually meant substantial control of the world. This is not merely sentimental: cutting of the oil supply from the Persian Gulf cripples, if is does not prevent, naval forces in the Indian Ocean and isolates India. It also gives an absolute free run to the east coast of Africa and, of course, make it possible to close the Strait of Aden.“

Thanks for reading,

Notes:

https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1943v04/d893

https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1945v08/d20