Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1944, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, The Far East, Volume V

890D.01/10–2344

Memorandum, of Conversation, by the Deputy Director of the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs (Alling)

[ Washington ,] October 23, 1944.

M. Baudet had called on October 16 to request clarification of a statement in the Department’s memorandum of October 5 reading as follows: “The United States Government was thus unable to accede to the original request that it grant full recognition to Syria and Lebanon, made to it by the French authorities following the issuance of the independence proclamations by General Catroux in 1941, though it was glad to recognize the step thus taken towards independence by establishing Legations at Beirut and Damascus and accrediting to the local Governments a ‘Diplomatic Agent’, a rank customarily used in the case of semi-independent States.” At that time I had told M. Baudet that we should be glad to look into the record and furnish him with information on the basis of which the statement was made. I therefore asked him to call today and I read to him the text of the attached memorandum of October 19, 1944, entitled “French Representations to the United States Government Regarding Recognition of the Independence of Syria and Lebanon”. Subsequently I gave him a copy of page 2 of this memorandum.

M. Baudet remarked that it was now clear to him why we had kept referring during the past two years to the efforts of the French Delegation to obtain recognition of Syrian and Lebanese independence. He said that absolutely nothing appeared in the Delegation’s files indicating that such recognition had ever been requested. He therefore concluded that in this matter, as in others, M. Tixier⁷⁷ had been following an independent line without instructions. He agreed, however, that the Department was justified in believing from the record which I had presented to him that the French authorities were pressing for American recognition of Syrian and Lebanese independence.

I then took up with M. Baudet the manner in which various foreign governments had accorded recognition of the independence of Syria and Lebanon. I thereupon read to him pertinent extracts from the attached memorandum of October 19, entitled “Recognition of the Independence of Syria and Lebanon by Various Foreign Governments”.⁷⁸ M. Baudet said that he was glad to have this information for his own reference but that he assumed it was already available to the French authorities in Paris.

I then referred to the complaints which M. Baudet and M. Hoppenot had made to Mr. Murray and to me regarding the activities of our representative at Beirut, Mr. Wadsworth. I told M. Baudet that we had taken this matter up with Mr. Wadsworth and that we had recently received a lengthy telegram (Beirut’s no. 220 of October 14⁷⁹), portions of which I proceeded to read to him. After I had finished reading, M. Baudet said that this message threw additional light on the entire matter and was of great interest to him. He was equally sure that it would be of interest to the French Foreign Office and asked if we could give him an informal memorandum setting forth a résumé of the message. He said that he was sure that this would do a great deal of good in Paris and would be equally welcome in Beirut. In this connection he pointed out that the French authorities in Paris could transmit the gist of our memorandum to General Beynet at Beirut while Mr. Wadsworth might be somewhat reluctant to transmit the same information to General Beynet. I told M. Baudet that I thought this could be arranged and that we would try to send him the memorandum requested.

[Annex—Memorandum]

[ Washington ,] October 19, 1944.

French Representations to the United States Government Regarding Recognition of the Independence of Syria and Lebanon

During May and June, 1941, indications were received from the American Legation at Cairo that the Free French desired American support of their proclamations declaring the independence of Syria and Lebanon.

In telegram no. 590 of May 26, 1941, from Cairo,⁸⁰ it was stated that:

“General Catroux has drawn up a plan which consists of proclaiming the independence of Syria in the name of France upon his entry into the country with his troops. His plan also envisages that Churchill will issue a proclamation and it has been intimated that it would be helpful if the President could express approval thereof in some way.”

On June 2, 1941, in telegram no. 640⁸⁰ the Legation stated:

“The same source (Free French) suggested that the endeavor to impart an international character to the invasion would be greatly facilitated if the President subsequent to General Catroux’s proclamation would issue a statement in favor thereof.”

Again, on June 8, 1941,⁸¹ the Legation at Cairo reported as follows:

“In the course of informal conversations between members of this Legation and British Embassy and Free French representatives regarding the proposed proclamation of General Catroux and supporting declaration of British Government on the entry of the Allied forces into Syria … the question was raised on several occasions as to whether the American Government might be disposed to make some sort of supporting declaration or statement either in the boundaries of the French and British declaration or justification of the occupation.”

The Department’s records contain several memoranda of conversations which took place in 1942 between M. Tixier, of the Free French Delegation, and officials of the Department, from which it is apparent that M. Tixier desired this Government’s recognition of Syrian and Lebanese independence.

In a memorandum of conversation on May 2, 1942⁸³ between M. Tixier and Mr. Berle⁸⁴ the latter recorded the following:

“He (M. Tixier) said he wished to urge the recognition of the independence of Syria. Axis and Vichy propagandists have made much of the fact that though the Free French declared its independence, and the British have recognized it, we have not.”

On August 4, 1942, in a conversation between M. Tixier and Mr. Welles,⁸⁵ at which time the question of this Government’s intention to appoint a Diplomatic Agent and Consul General to Syria was raised, M. Tixier said that he was instructed to request that this action should not be taken before the United States accorded recognition to Syria and Lebanon as independent states.

Mr. Murray, in a memorandum of August 13, 1942,⁸⁶ to Mr. Welles, commenting on the above conversation, stated:

“As regards Syria and Lebanon, the Free French position as explained to me somewhat more fully by M. Tixier is that he would like the United States to grant full recognition to Syria and Lebanon as independent States, as an assistance to the Free French in their efforts to convince the Syrians and the Lebanese that Free French promises to them are genuine.”

77. Adrien Tixier, Free French Delegate in Washington.
78. Not printed.
79. See footnote 71, p. 800.
80. Not printed.
80. Not printed.
81. Telegram 684, not printed.
83. Not printed.
84. Adolf A. Berle, Jr., Assistant Secretary of State.
85. For memorandum of conversation, see Foreign Relations, 1942, vol. iv, p. 655.
86. Memorandum not printed.