890E.01/9–2044: Telegram
The Diplomatic Agent and Consul General at Beirut (Wadsworth) to the Secretary of State
[Received 4:08 p.m.]
194. See last paragraph my 193, September 19, 10 p.m. The Beynet–Quwatly conversation of yesterday morning crystalized situation and opposing viewpoints. Beynet was accompanied by Ostrorog38 (who returned last week from London); the President was accompanied by his Premier and Foreign Minister.
I was received shortly thereafter at President’s invitation by him and Premier. They informed me Beynet had made four chief points as follows:
In London there had been Anglo-French agreement that France has right to privileged position in Levant; France cannot ignore its international obligations, assumed before the war, devolving from its exercise of the mandate with which it had been charged by League of Nations; for effective transition from mandatory status to independence treaty with France is indispensable “to tie the past with the future”;
And such treaty should properly safeguard “the traditional position of France in the Levant” which, the Premier said, would if recognized embrace right to protect Christian minorities.
President’s reply, I was then informed, had stressed following points and considerations firmly and unequivocally:
Syria will not engage itself in any relationship of special privilege with France or any other power, but rather conserve its full liberty of action while contributing however possible to common war effort;
As to pretended French international obligations Syria considers they no longer exist; Catroux38a suppressed the mandate; under December 22 accord39 all powers then remaining in French hands have been [Page 784] transferred; article 22 of League Covenant40 provides that after such period of tutelage states under mandate shall become fully independent; Syria has been so recognized by states, members of League and others; even Vichy France renounced the mandate when it withdrew from League;
And it is not the past but rather hope for the future which would encourage Syria to negotiate treaty of friendship with France; far better forget the past; we will negotiate with France only when we can simultaneously negotiate with other powers for similar treaties; our inherited international obligations require that we accord most-favored-national [nation] treatment to all.
Beynet had interpolated question as to how Syria could assume responsibility for military security; British now had three divisions in the country. President had replied “Transfer Troupes Speciales to us and arm our Gendarmerie; if you do not do latter we shall be obliged to ask another power”. (Rumor points to Iraq as that other power.)
I was then shown first draft of letter elaborating foregoing theme which President proposes to address to President Roosevelt, Marshal Stalin, King George and Arab sovereigns. He added that he had asked Beynet to convey his argument to de Gaulle and that arrangements were being made for whole question to be discussed next week in Cairo at Arab unity preparatory conference.
Finally President said he had made special point to Beynet that while Syria had obligated itself to retain present French officials in its service until 6 months after war it considered itself as of now entirely free to engage experts of any nationality.
Repeated to Caserta.
- Count Stanislas Ostrorog, member of the French Delegation in Syria and Lebanon.↩
- Gen. Georges Catroux, Free French Delegate General in Syria and Lebanon, 1941–43.↩
- See telegram 9, December 24, 1943, 3 p.m., from the Chargé at Damascus, Foreign Relations, 1943, vol. iv, p. 1054.↩
- Foreign Relations, The Paris Peace Conference, 1919, vol. xiii, pp. 69, 93. Article 22 established the mandate system.↩