890E.01/5–1845: Telegram
The Minister to Syria and Lebanon (Wadsworth) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 19—1:12 p.m.]
138. Following is translation of original French text referred to in my 137, May 18, 6 p.m.:
“The first gesture of the authorities of Free France upon its arrival in the Levant in 1941 was to proclaim the independence of Syria and Lebanon. It is because of this gesture that this independence is now a fact. France congratulates herself that the initiative taken by her has had this happy result. She desires that the Syrian and Lebanese Governments exercise their full authority without any kind of limitation or obstacle.
“It is in this spirit and without any reservation respecting the independence of Syria and Lebanon that the French Government desires to assure, in so far as she is concerned, the defense of the essential interests which France retains in Syria and Lebanon.
“These interests are of three kinds: Cultural, economic and strategic.
“The cultural positions of interest to Syria and France may be defined and guaranteed by a university convention.
“The respective economic positions may be defined and guaranteed by various accords in accordance with ordinary international procedure (a convention of establishment, a consular convention, a commercial agreement, etc.).
“As regards the strategic positions, these would consist of bases permitting the guarantee of France’s lines of communication and of her overseas possessions.12
“Once agreement is reached on these three points, the French Government would be agreeable to effecting the transfer of the special troops to the States under reservation of maintaining the troops under the High French Command as long as circumstances do not permit the full exercise of a national command.”
- In a note of May 20, 1945, to the Minister to Syria and Lebanon, the Syrian Minister for Foreign Affairs advised of General Beynet’s statement that “under instructions from General de Gaulle, France would request naval bases in Lebanon and air bases in Syria”. In despatch 293, May 24, 1945, which transmitted a copy of the note, the Chargé at Damascus noted that this was “more specific than the request for bases set forth in the French aide-mémoire”. (890D.01/5–2445)↩