Office of the Historian

890d.00/297: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Consul at Beirut (Knabenshue)

[Paraphrase]
Washington, December 5, 1925—4 p.m.

On basis of your recommendation the Department has arranged to have the Navy Department withdraw the destroyers at once. The understanding is that they will go to Alexandria. They are to stay there until December 15 so that the Department may judge the effect of their departure before they proceed to the western Mediterranean to join the Pittsburgh.

Telegraph recommendations should you feel that it is important to have the destroyers stay for a longer time near Beirut.13

[Page 127]

Separate instructions are being sent by Navy Department to captain of the destroyers.

Kellogg
  1. On the recommendation of the consul at Beirut, the two destroyers were retained within a short cruising distance from Beirut. On December 28, the Navy Department was informed that the consul had reported on December 26 that there was no reason for keeping the destroyers longer in the vicinity of Beirut.↩