Washington's statement that "honesty is the best policy" in relation to foreign relations implies that the United States should be straightforward and transparent about its intentions. Therefore, the best response to the question is:
There was no need to be coy about U.S. intentions to avoid permanent alliances in the future.
This means that Washington believed the U.S. should openly communicate its policy of avoiding long-term commitments with foreign nations rather than hiding or masking this intention.