890d.00/406

The Consul at Damascus (Keeley) to the Secretary of State

No. 378

Sir: I have the honor to transmit herewith, in French and in translation, a copy of a communiqué issued to the local press on April 27, 1926, by the French Military Governor of Damascus, to the effect that certain villages of the Ghouta and quarters of the city of Damascus might henceforth be subjected to coercive measures in retaliation for the nonpayment of fines and the nonexecution of other measures imposed upon them.

Despite the fact that neither the villages and quarters exposed to these measures were specified nor the nature of the coercive measures themselves defined, the Military Governor stated that following the publication of this notice he would assume no responsibility whatsoever for any accidents that might happen as a result of the putting into execution without further notice of the coercive measures. Since it was conceivable that foreigners might suffer from these measures should they take the form of bombardments or other general punitive operations and since it was not possible to warn the foreigners so exposed because of the absence of information as to what villages and quarters of the city were likely to be made the object of these measures, the Consular Corps thought it proper to request the French Authorities to be more explicit and to give foreigners timely warning before the execution of any program which would endanger their lives or property.

There is transmitted herewith, in French and in translation, a copy of the Consular Corps’ note of April 28, 1926, addressed to M. Alype, Envoy Extraordinary of the French High Commissioner, on this subject; a copy of M. Alype’s reply of May 14, 1926, together with a copy of the Military Governor’s letter to him of May 8, 1926, transmitted therewith; and a copy of the Consular Corps’ acknowledgment of May 18, 1926. It is believed that all of these communications will be found self-explanatory and that extended comment thereon is therefore unnecessary.

It may be remarked, however, that General Vallier, the present Military Governor, in the last paragraph of his letter manifests a disposition to cooperate with the Consuls in their task of protecting their nationals, …

The bombardment of the Meidan Quarter of Damascus on May 7, 1926, the circumstances of which were reported in my despatch No. 373 of May 12, 1926,78 was undoubtedly the execution of one of the [Page 148] contemplated coercive measures. It was carried out without any warning whatsoever. …

Fortunately the number of American citizens left in this district is small, and all those known to this office were advised several months ago to leave the district.

I have [etc.]

J. H. Keeley, Jr.
[Enclosure 1—Translation]

Communiqué Issued to the Press by the French Military Governor of Damascus on April 27, 1926

A certain number of villages of the Ghouta or quarters of the city, being found under the penalty of fines, may be the object of measures of coercion, in case of non-execution. As these measures of coercion will become effective without any previous notice, by the sole fact of the non-execution of clauses agreed upon, the General commanding the troops of the region invites instantly the interested local Syrian Authorities to evacuate, in due time, from the said localities, the women, old men and children, because the Military Governor, following this notice, assumes no responsibility, even moral, for accidents that may occur.

[Enclosure 2—Translation]

The Dean of the Consular Corps at Damascus (Keeley) to the Envoy Extraordinary at Damascus (Alype) of the French High Commissioner to the States of Syria and the Lebanon (De Jouvenel)

Sir: I am directed by the Consular Corps to inform you that according to a communiqué published in the Arabic newspapers the French Military Authorities have announced that a certain number of villages of the Ghouta or quarters of the city may be the object of measures of coercion, in case of the non-payment of fines, and as these measures of coercion will take effect without any previous warning, by the mere fact of the non-execution of the clauses agreed upon, the Military Governor, after this notice, assumes no responsibility, even moral, for accidents that may occur.

This communiqué being susceptible to many interpretations, even ambiguous ones, the Consular Corps would like to know more precisely the nature of the measures of coercion in view. It hopes that these measures will not be of such a nature that the lives or property of foreigners may be endangered.

If the Mandatory Authorities do not believe that they are in a position to give it formal assurances on this subject, the Consular [Page 149] Corps is fully confident that these measures of coercion will not be put into force without the Consuls being directly advised in sufficient time to enable them to withdraw their nationals out of danger.

In case the Mandatory Authorities decide that certain villages and quarters of the city must be the object of measures of coercion, the Consular Corps requests them to be good enough to notify it which villages and quarters will be exposed to these measures as well as which villages and quarters will be safe in order that the Consuls may cooperate with the French Authorities in removing the foreign nationals to the places indicated as secure. At the same time, the Consular Corps would be grateful to you to be good enough to inform it what measures the Mandatory Authorities intend to adopt to enable the Consuls to assure the efficient protection of their nationals in the villages or quarters exposed to the measures of coercion.

The Consular Corps does not share the Military Governor’s opinion that he can, by the simple publication of this communiqué, decline responsibility for incidents that may occur from the measures of coercion in view, and it holds always the Mandatory Power responsible for the safeguarding of the lives and property of foreigners.

The Consular Corps wishing to facilitate as much as possible the task of the Mandatory Authorities and being thankful for the kind solicitude for foreigners shown by the French Authorities in the past renews its assurances that it is inspired only by a desire to collaborate with the Mandatory Power in its efforts to insure the protection of foreigners.

Accept [etc.]

J. H. Keeley, Jr.
[Enclosure 3—Translation79]

The Envoy Extraordinary at Damascus (Alype) of the French High Commissioner to the States of Syria and the Lebanon (De Jouvenel) to the Dean of the Consular Corps at Damascus (Keeley)

No. 248/SP

Mr. Dean: Referring to your letter of April 28th, I have the honor to address to you herewith the reply that General Vallier, in charge of the maintenance of public order and security in the region of Damascus, has transmitted to me.

I am persuaded that the information given by the General will allay the anxiety of the Consular Corps of this city.

Accept [etc.]

Pierre Alype
[Page 150]
[Subenclosure—Translation80]

The General Commanding the Troops of the Region of Damascus and the Hauran (Vallier) to the Envoy Extraordinary at Damascus (Alype) of the High Commissioner to the States of Syria and the Lebanon (De Jouvenel)

No. 1567/2

In returning to you herewith the letter, dated April 28, from the Dean of the Consular Corps of Damascus which you were good enough to transmit to me for the basis of a reply, I have the honor to bring to your knowledge:

1.
That the communiqué which appeared in the newspapers of April 28 is aimed only at the villages upon which fines in arms and money are imposed as a reprisal for proven acts such as open and repeated complicity with the bands or attacks on our troops or on representatives of the French or Syrian authorities.
2.
That far from constituting a new menace to the villages, it aims only to spare the lives of the women, old men and children, by warning the populations concerned that the noncompliance with the conditions imposed upon them exposes them to coercive measures which may lead to the loss of human life.
3.
That these coercive measures may consist either of bombardment without forewarning at the expiration of the time limit or of offensive operations eventually followed by the seizure of property destined to be sold for the benefit of the Syrian budget and in substitution of unpaid fines.

I shall be grateful to you if you will be good enough to communicate with the Dean of the Consular Corps and make known to him:

1.
That the fact of granting a time limit in which to comply with the conditions imposed on a particular village constitutes in itself a forewarning, permitting the guilty population to take all measures to escape eventual sanctions.
2.
That obviously I cannot acquaint the Consular Corps with the repressive operations which I may find it necessary to carry out and for the success of which secrecy is absolutely necessary.
3.
But that I remain entirely disposed to assist the Consular Corps in its mission of protecting foreign nationals by furnishing it a copy of the notices sent to the villages or quarters upon which fines are imposed, in order to permit the interested Consuls to notify in sufficient time the said nationals of the danger which they may risk in case of noncompliance.

Accept [etc.]

Vallier
[Page 151]
[Enclosure 4—Translation]

The Dean of the Consular Corps at Damascus (Keeley) to the Envoy Extraordinary at Damascus (Alype) of the French High Commissioner to the States of Syria and the Lebanon (De Jouvenel)

Mr. Envoy Extraordinary: I am charged by the Consular Corps to acknowledge the receipt of your letter No. 248/SP of May 14, 1926, with which you were good enough to transmit to me the reply of General Vallier to the Consular Corps’ note dated April 28, 1926, on the subject of the protection of foreigners, particularly the measures to be taken in order to protect foreigners from the dangers to which they may be exposed by the measures of coercion of which a certain number of villages of the Ghouta or quarters of the city may be the object.

The Consular Corps requests you to be good enough to transmit to General Vallier its thanks for the indications which he was good enough to give it and which will be very useful to the Consuls in relation to their respective nationals.

The Consular Corps is particularly pleased to note that the General is disposed to accept its collaboration to the end of assuring the protection of foreigners by furnishing it with a copy of the notices sent out to the villages or quarters which may be the object of the measures of coercion, in order to permit the Consuls to notify their nationals of the dangers that they may be exposed to in sufficient time to permit them to withdraw from the danger. It believes that this collaboration can have as a result only the better safeguarding of the lives and property of foreigners without any prejudice whatsoever to the operations that the Authorities may find necessary to put into execution.

In reserving the right of their respective Governments to hold the Mandatory Authorities responsible for any damage caused to the person and the property of the foreigners, the Consular Corps would like to reassure you, Mr. Envoy Extraordinary, that it does not at all desire and has never wished to hinder the execution of the task of the Mandatory Power in Syria. Being interested only in the adequate protection of their nationals and wishing, as much as possible, to facilitate the work of the French Authorities in this regard, the Consuls in Damascus hope that henceforth they will be able to concert with them for its realization.

Accept [etc.]

J. H. Keeley, Jr.
  1. Not printed.
  2. File translation revised.
  3. File translation revised.