890D.01/586
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Secretary of State
The British Ambassador97 called to see me this morning at his request. He brought up again the question of the recognition by the United States of the new Government of Syria. He said that he realized that there might be certain circumstances involving the present relations between the Vichy Government and the United States which would make it seem undesirable for the United States to accord recognition at once. He said, however, that he thought some form of recognition could be extended which would not create any serious friction with the Vichy Government and he urged that this Government do so.
I said that I could not agree at this time to take any such step as that suggested. I stated that our relations with the Vichy Government98 had reached a very critical stage and that I did not wish at this moment to increase the number of problems which weighed upon our policy concerning the French Government at Vichy. I stated that once the present situation had been clarified, provided such clarification was satisfactory from our point of view, the question of our relations with the new Government of Syria could be taken up for further study.
- Viscount Halifax.↩
- For correspondence on this subject, see vol. ii, pp. 123 ff.↩