740.0011 European War 1939/11251: Telegram
The Consul General at Beirut (Engert) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 24—4:37 p.m.]
163. Personal for the Under Secretary of State. The following information is considered absolutely reliable and I hope can be immediately communicated to the British.
Germans are arriving in Syria via Turkey and by air in ever increasing numbers, some with Bulgarian passports or as Jewish refugees or commercial travelers with French names. At Aleppo aerodrome the German Air Force has taken over complete control and all notices in its vicinity are in German. They are buying large quantities of supplies including trucks and passenger cars and are obviously preparing for a prolonged stay.
[Page 714]French military equipment continues to be shipped to Tor and several trainloads are to leave Talia near Baalbek within 2 or 3 days. I understand these arms and ammunition are not turned over to the Iraqis but are being stored for use by German forces later.
Considerable quantities of Iranian not Iraqi aviation gasoline are reaching the Germans by rail from Mosul and are being stored underground. French official explanation is that this is part of a barter arrangement between Iraq and Syria in return for munitions of war, see also my 162 of today.73 Fictitious French trading company for the purpose has been organized in Aleppo by a German.
Best information is to the effect that majority of French and natives would welcome British occupation but with every hour that passes pro-British sentiment is losing ground. Latest German propaganda here points to Yugoslavia as typical instance of the fate awaiting any country which allows itself to be persuaded by the Anglo-Saxon nations to offer resistance to the invincible German war machine.
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