Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, General: The United Nations, Volume I

500.CC/3–1745: Telegram

The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State

London, March 17, 1945—7 p.m.
[Received March 17—5:42 p.m.]

2791. The following Observations were made today by an official Of the Foreign Office regarding the status of various questions now under discussion between London and Washington concerning the San Francisco Conference:

1. Syria and Lebanon: Taking into consideration the views of the American Government, the reported concurrence of Russia and China,⁷⁹ and the interest expressed by the Arab States (reEmbtel 2527, March 11, 3 p.m.⁸⁰), the Foreign Office is inclined to favor participation of Syria and Lebanon in the San Francisco Conference, but feels that it would be advisable to clear the proposal with the French who have recently been badgering the Foreign Office on this subject and are apparently apprehensive of being faced by a fait accompli Information to this effect has already gone forward to the British Embassy at Washington for transmission to the, Department, and the Foreign Office has under preparation a further communication suggesting that, provided the other sponsoring powers are agreeable, the American Government, as the inviting power, should approach the French on the matter.⁸¹

2. Consultations regarding International Court of Justice: The Foreign Office is in general agreement with the views of the Department (reDeptel 1944, March 13, 11 [10] p.m.) on this subject and a reply t6 the Embassy to that effect has been drafted, including the added suggestion that, if the work of the jurists is not completed by the time the Conference begins, the scene of their activities would be transferred to San Francisco.

3. Polish participation: The Foreign Office not only shares the views of the State Department regarding the non-participation at the San Francisco Conference of the present Polish Provisional Government in Moscow (reDeptel 2018, March 15, midnight) but might even be inclined to go further in taking a strong stand in that respect. A reply to the Embassy indicating general agreement but including certain suggestions as to detail is under consideration and will be delivered shortly.

4. Trusteeship: The first reaction of the official consulted was that the Foreign Office would doubtless agree to the inclusion of the French in these consultations (reDepts 2049, March 16, midnight) and also to their being conducted on a technical level with Washington as the site. He was doubtful, however, whether the pressure of work here and personnel limitations would permit the arrival of the British delegation until after the first week of April. He indicated that the British delegation might be headed by the Under Secretary of State for the colonies.

Winant

79. Acting Secretary Grew informed Ambassador Winant in his telegram 1847, March 10, 1 p.m., that this Government perceived no objection to an invitation being extended to Syria and Lebanon (740.0011 EW 1939/3–1045). Approval by the Chinese and the Soviet Governments was reported in telegrams 404, March 11, noon, from Chungking (500.CC/3–1145), and 782, March 16, 8 p.m., from Moscow (740.0011 EW 1939/3–1645). On March 16, Mr. Michael Wright, of the British Embassy, reported to the Department that the British Government favored admission of the Levant States to the United Nations and invitation to the Conference (500.CC/3–1645).
80. Not printed; a note of March 23 from the Egyptian Chargé (Azer) to Acting Secretary Grew expressed the hopes of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of Egypt and Iraq and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Saudi Arabian Kingdom that Lebanon and Syria would be invited to attend the Conference (500.CC/3–2345).
81. In telegram 1116, March 21, 10 p.m., to Paris (500.CC/a–2145), Acting Secretary Grew informed Ambassador Caffery that the French Embassy in Washington had been informed that the British were giving the French an opportunity to take the initiative in suggesting that these two nations adhere to the Declaration and that they be invited to San Francisco, the French Counselor (Lacoste) indicated on March 23 that the French Government desired to take the initiative in proposing that Syria and Lebanon be invited to the Conference (500.CC/3–2345). In telegram 69, March 23, 8 p.m., to Beirut, Acting Secretary Grew informed the Minister in Lebanon (Wadsworth) of a planned public announcement that an invitation was being extended to Syria and Lebanon to participate in the Conference and that the French Government took the initiative in proposing this move (500.CC/3–2345). For press releases of March 28 regarding the adherence of Syria and Lebanon to the Declaration by United Nations, see Department of State Bulletin, April 1, 1945, p. 575. The Minister in Lebanon was instructed in telegram 79, March 29, 3 p.m., to “deliver immediately to the Governments of Syria and Lebanon an invitation to the Conference (500. CC/3–2945).