890D.01/630: Telegram
The Consul at Beirut (Gwynn) to the Secretary of State
Beirut, August 21,
1942—10 a.m.
[Received August 22—1:25 p.m.]
[Received August 22—1:25 p.m.]
296. Department’s 135, August 19 was received yesterday during my absence from Beirut. I had gone to Damascus to leave with the Syrian Foreign Minister the informal aide-mémoire called for in Department’s 111.25 A copy will go forward by next pouch.
- 2.
- Fayes el Khowry is both Foreign and Finance Minister. He assured me the matter of Deir-ez-Zor Hospital taxes would soon be settled to our entire satisfaction and that we would receive further assurances to all matters falling within the framework of American treaty rights. It was evident that he had only a vague conception of what those rights might be. He should, I think, make inquiry in that regard of the French who have been acting on Syria’s behalf but it is very doubtful if he will do so as he wants to ignore them in so far as possible. The Department may deem wise to transmit to him its statement of its understanding of what those rights are with view to having them recited in a letter which he would address to us, in order to avoid in future just the sort of trouble that has arisen about Deir-ez-Zor Hospital. If left to himself he will give us a general statement. I do [Page 657] not doubt he will act in good faith but any one of his successors may be inclined to circumscribe our rights, particularly if the Syrians find themselves obliged to grant equal rights to other nations whom they may like less. I am convinced that fundamentally the Syrians are xenophobe and would like to get all westerners out of their country, though they find us less objectionable than the others, and I think we will have to be continuously vigilant in protecting our acquired rights if we put store by them.
- 3.
- Foreign Minister attempted to minimize present difficulty and to convince me that so small a matter should not be allowed to stand for a minute in the way of America’s recognition of Syrian independence. That recognition he is most anxious to obtain as it would, he said, be the only one of any real value. The limited recognition mentioned in Department’s 135, August 19 may be a great disappointment to him as it will probably be less than he was led confidentially to expect in the immediate future by Mr. Engert on receipt of Department’s 78, June 2.
- 4.
- As I stated in paragraph 4, my 227, June 25, the Syrians and Lebanese had adopted a similar line of argument as to treatment to be accorded to foreign institutions. I have since learned that Foreign Ministers of both countries (see my 259, June [July] 2426) met often with General Spears27 to discuss policies and took their directives from him. I am inclined now to believe that the line adopted was meant to eliminate French influence here by restricting French institutions and that we were hit only by ricochet. Lebanese Foreign Minister Frangie is now out of office. I should not be surprised if the Syrian followed him soon as result of political conferences held in Damascus by de Gaulle this week. … That will probably be outcome of de Gaulle-Spears duel.27a
- 5.
- I will present aide-mémoire to Lebanese Foreign Minister within few days.
- 6.
- Repeated to Cairo.
Gwynn