740.00119 European War 1939/766: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Leahy)
561. Your 844, July 10, 5 p.m. The sequence of events regarding General Dentz’ request for armistice terms is as follows:
On the morning of July 8 General Dentz requested Engert to inform the British authorities that he (Dentz) proposed an immediate cessation of hostilities. Engert immediately forwarded this information by triple priority telegram no. 281, July 8, 10 a.m., addressed to London, Vichy, Jerusalem via Ankara, and the Department, where it was received at 1:15 a.m., July 9.
Immediately upon receipt of the telegram, the Department informed the British Embassy in Washington, July 9.
As early as noon on July 9 the British Embassy in Washington had received British armistice terms from London and handed them to the Department. At 3 p.m., July 9 the Department despatched these terms by triple priority telegram no. 132 to Beirut. At 6 p.m. July 9 the Radio Corporation of America informed the Department that all endeavors to get the message through to Beirut had failed. An effort [Page 773] was then made to send the message by Western Union cable via London and Berne. At 6:30 a.m., July 10, Western Union reported that it was also impossible to get through to Beirut by this means. The Department began communicating the terms to you early on the morning of July 10, for repetition to Beirut and also for communication to the French Government. The Department also endeavored to communicate the terms to you by telephone on the morning of July 10, but French telephone authorities refused to permit the connection, citing the French-German armistice provisions as their reason.
It is apparent from the above that the British Government acted with the greatest promptness in drafting the armistice terms, and that the delay in communicating them was occasioned entirely by transmission difficulties which the Department tried by every means to overcome.
An important fact for which no explanation has been found is that throughout. July 9 and 10 the Department received telegrams from Beirut within a few hours after they were despatched, yet the Department has been unable to send any messages to Beirut. The French authorities may desire to investigate the reasons therefor. Furthermore, it might be pointed out to the French Government that had the Department been permitted to communicate with you by telephone, some of the delay against which the Vichy authorities complain would have been avoided.
The Department regrets that it was impossible to get the terms to Beirut sooner. It should hardly be necessary to remind the French authorities that it was possible at any time during the period under discussion for General Dentz to seek an armistice under a flag of truce, by direct conversations with his military opponents.
You may use the foregoing in any manner which may be appropriate.