751.90D11/10–944: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Appointed Minister to Syria and Lebanon ( Wadsworth )

188. Reurtel 217, October 11, 11 a.m. Probably due to faulty transmission Spears seems to have misunderstood British Embassy’s telegram. That communication reported simply that we had mentioned a discriminatory draft agreement on educational matters, which the Embassy had not seen, as indicative of the type of over-all accord we feared the French might seek to obtain from Syrian’and Lebanese Governments. Our reference was to text submitted with your despatch no. 441, July 14.73

Moreover, there seems to have arisen an even broader misunderstanding of the Department’s views as regards the possible negotiation of accords between the French and the Levant Governments.

We have no desire to urge the local Governments to sign or conclude an agreement of any type with the French. We would even refuse to approve a treaty giving discriminatory privileges to France or French nationals. It is our understanding that the British themselves do not contemplate and have not suggested “conclusion of treaty of special privilege with France.” We believe the local Governments should make their own decisions in this matter.

On the other hand, we see no harm in negotiations or in agreements as such. French proposals derogatory to independence or discriminatory against others could be rejected: it would appear that no one knows definitely at this stage what the French would seek to obtain. International agreements are supposed to be mutually advantageous to the participating parties; we consider for example that we have ourselves concluded an “executive agreement” of this type with the local Governments by the notes exchanged in connection with full recognition.

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[Page 803]

Department’s views are fully clarified in memoranda of conversations with British Embassy on September 22 and 28 and October 4 and with French Delegation on October 10, all en route by air mail. We suggest, reurtel 216, October 9, 8 p.m., that you defer presenting written reply to Syrian Foreign Minister pending receipt of these documents and that you be guided thereby in your verbal remarks to him.

Sent to Beirut. Repeated to London and Paris.

Hull
  1. Not printed.