890E.00/249: Circular telegram
The Secretary of State to the Consul General at Algiers (Wiley)
Please see Massigli urgently and make it clear to him that this Government maintains the position expressed in its 2139, November 12, midnight, and is thus in full accord with the British views summarized in London’s 8157, November 22, 6 p.m. For Wilson.
In our opinion anything less than a restoration of the constitutional situation would not be consistent with the French promises of independence and the French action in arranging for the holding of elections and reestablishing constitutional Government in Lebanon. Having accepted and indeed welcomed this constitutional procedure and entered into relations with the resulting Lebanese Government, we would not be willing to recognize an arbitrarily imposed or appointed successor in its stead. It would seem to us that the easiest and least embarrassing action for the French to take would be the simple annulment of the decrees issued by Helleu on November 11.
While the repressive acts of Mr. Helleu have unquestionably aroused strong resentment on the part of the Lebanese officials, we are confident that they could be persuaded to be reasonable, if assured that the French would likewise be reasonable, and should be glad to instruct Wadsworth to use his best efforts to this end.
Sent to Algiers. Repeated to London, Cairo and Beirut.