Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1938, The British Commonwealth, Europe, Near East, and Africa, Volume II

890D.01/469

The Consul at Beirut (Steger) to the Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Murray)

Beirut, February 1, 1938.

Dear Mr. Murray: My letter of December 27, 1937, crossing yours of December 31st,¹¹ will have given you such ideas as I have on the subject of the reopening of the Damascus office. I trust that this will have covered most of the points in which you are interested.

The heavy task of settling Mr. Marriner’s estate¹² has been just about completed. Blatchford¹³ went back to Jerusalem last week, and I am finishing up the final account. I expect to get this in the next pouch, leaving here February 7th, on which date also the effects will be shipped. Blatchford was a great help, but in spite of that the estate has taken up a considerable amount of my own time; its completion will be a corresponding relief.

With regard to the last paragraph of your letter of December 21st [31st], I may say that the French authorities still appear to expect the termination of the Mandate on January 1, 1940. This is the opinion of M. Robert de Caix, French representative with the Mandates Commission, with whom I had a talk the other day on this general subject.

M. de Caix, I may add, seems personally to be rather pessimistic as to the ability of Lebanese and Syrians to govern themselves. On the matter of our interests after January 1, 1940, he especially recommends careful attention with regard to the judiciary system, and insistence on the retention of Mixed Courts. As you will recall, this is a point which has been mentioned several times in Mr. Marriner’s despatches; and it seems more than a coincidence that it should be the matter chiefly stressed by M. de Caix.

I brought up in a general way also the question of Treaty relations after 1940. M. de Caix there confirms the opinion expressed in my letter to you of December 6th—namely, that the French will take no steps regarding existing treaties, considering that all obligations entered into by France for the two countries will be automatically assumed by them when they are admitted to the League. He called attention to the fact that this refers only to treaties between France and other countries made on behalf of Syria and the Lebanon, or specifically applied to Syria and the Lebanon by some definite decision or agreement. For instance, he believes that our commercial agreements with France have never been definitely applied to Syria and the Lebanon, inasmuch as our rights in this respect are safeguarded under the Convention of April 4, 1924, guaranteeing us equal rights with nations members of the League. I am not sure of the legal position regarding our consular convention with France,¹⁴ although the High Commission has tacitly, at least, recognized the applicability on one recent occasion. This has of course had little importance up to now, since consular privileges enjoyed here are in excess of those granted in the Treaty with France; but in the future we should of course have a definite Treaty. The Franco-American Extradition Convention¹⁵ has been definitely recognized as applicable, although I cannot locate any especial agreement to that effect.

I was especially interested in hearing M. de Caix suggest, as a method of safeguarding such rights as may not have been defined by Treaty prior to independence of the present Mandated States, some such procedure as that which I recommended in my letter of December 6, 1937, namely, that the Lebanese and Syrian Governments be requested to give written assurances as to the maintenance of the rights and privileges at present enjoyed by us, pending their definition in a Treaty.

There is of course very little in the above that is new. I feel, however, that it will be of interest to you to know that the opinions which I previously expressed are shared by a person who is undoubtedly better acquainted than any other individual with these States and their international relations.

Very sincerely yours,

Christian T. Steger

11. Neither printed.
12. Theodore Marriner, former Consul General at Beirut, who was assassinated October 12, 1937.
13. Edward W. Blatchford, Vice Consul at Jerusalem.
14. Signed at Washington, February 23, 1853; William M. Malloy (ed.), Treaties, Conventions, etc., Between the United States of America and Other Powers, 1776–1909 (Washington, Government Printing Office, 1910), vol. i, p. 528.
15. Signed at Paris, January 6, 1909, Foreign Relations, 1911, p. 189. For supplementary conventions, signed at Paris, January 15, 1929, and April 23, 1936, see ibid., 1929, vol. ii, p. 991, and 50 Stat. 1117.