740.0011 EW/5–545
The British Minister (Balfour) to the
Director of the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs
(Henderson)87
Dear Mr. Henderson: With reference to the
difficulties which have arisen over the French desire to send
reinforcements to the Levant States, the Foreign Office have asked me to
let you know how grateful they are for the helpful instructions which
the State Department have sent to the U.S. Ambassador in Paris.
- 2.
- Mr. Duff Cooper has now been instructed to deliver to General de
Gaulle a message from the Prime Minister, of which I enclose a
copy.
- 3.
- Mr. Duff Cooper has been instructed at the same time to try and
find out what the French intentions are as regards a treaty. The
Foreign Office are disturbed at the French delay in putting forward
their proposals and in starting negotiations with the Levant States,
and Mr. Duff Cooper is to try to confirm that the French Government
are still anxious to conclude a treaty as soon as possible.
- 4.
- Finally, Mr. Duff Cooper is asked to report whether de Gaulle has
reverted to the suggestion which he made, at one time, for a
simultaneous withdrawal of British and French troops from Syria, and
whether, in any case, it is considered that this suggestion was a
serious one.
Yours sincerely,
[Enclosure]
The British Prime Minister (Churchill) to the President of the Council of Ministers of
the French Provisional Government (de Gaulle)
Duff Cooper has reported to me his talk with you88 about
reinforcements for the Levant.
- 2.
- I am sorry to hear you look on this matter as one concerning
the prestige of our two countries in the Levant.
- 3.
- We have recognized your special position in the Levant but,
our commitments and duties extend throughout the Middle East.
Our main task is to ensure that Allied Communications to Indian
and Far Eastern theatres by land, sea and air and essential oil
supplies drawn
[Page 1068]
from
M.E. are kept secure from interruption and disturbance. The Arab
countries hold firmly together and inconvenient as it may be we
cannot disregard event[s] in the Levant States.
- 4.
- I have several times assured you that His Majesty’s Government
have no designs against French interests in Syria and the
Lebanon. I am anxious to prove this to you and to meet you in
this matter but so long as relations between France and the
Levant States remain undefined we have to be on our guard
against disturbances which might affect the whole of the Middle
East. I am willing therefore, to order a withdrawal of all
British troops from Syria and the Levant at the moment a treaty
has been concluded and is in operation between French Government
and Syrian and Levant Governments. From this point of view it
would seem a great pity if the sending in of reinforcements,
above those which are needed as replacements, were to cause
unrest or a rise of temper. Of course this again might be offset
if troops speciale [troupes spéciales]
were handed over. It would help greatly if you could make an
immediate declaration on this subject. As you imagine it is a
matter of great importance to us not to have Arab world roused
up with probability of sympathetic reactions in Iraq.
- 5.
- If you reinforce your troops at this moment the Levant States
who have been waiting for treaty proposals for some time past
may well suppose you are preparing a settlement to be concluded
under duress. This might injure both yours and our relations
with them and poison the atmosphere for negotiations you are
about to begin. I hope therefore that you will help me in
avoiding this addition to our troubles. Good wishes.89
