890E.01/5–2145: Telegram
The Minister to Syria and Lebanon (Wadsworth) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 22—7:40 p.m.]
145. 1. ReLegtel 143, May 20. When handing me note yesterday morning Lebanese MinFonAff stressed that French-Levant affairs had reached impasse which in his view could be resolved only if great powers, especially US, intervened and insisted on application of their declared principles. Lebanon, he declared, had never since Nov 194324 been so nearly unanimous in support of its Govt.
He believed announcement that all Allied troops would be progressively withdrawn would constitute practical measure most conducive to solution; another would be conversion of French Delegation General into diplomatic mission with its implicit corollary of full recognition of Levant sovereignty and capacity to treat diplomatically with France as between equals.
Lebanese Govt, he suggested, could perhaps best contribute to solution by keeping anti-French demonstrations within orderly bounds and as counter-proposal to Beynet aide-mémoire submitting draft treaty of friendship, commerce and consular relations to three Great Powers and France.
2. In Damascus yesterday afternoon at meeting with foreign representatives Syrian MinFonAff handed each a copy of Syrian reply to Beynet aide-mémoire.
Covering note to me was along same line as Leb note but stressed also assurances of sympathetic support given in President Roosevelt’s letter of December 7.25 Interesting point was added that when calling on President Quwatly May 17 Beynet had said he was charged by de Gaulle to inform Syrian Govt that among French desiderata were “the concession of naval bases in Lebanon and air bases in Syria”.
Anti-French movement he said was threatening throughout country; Syria was in paradoxical position of having to protect those who were cause of its troubles; all Syrians knew French had lost war but saw that here they were endeavoring to dictate terms as Germans had done in France; were their troops now to intervene purportedly to maintain order it would be like pouring petrol on fire; public temper was highest since 1925 revolt;26 great powers would be asked to intervene. Airgram follows.27
[Page 1089]3. A disturbing factor in situation is that Pres Quwatly had last night serious relapse of duodenal ulcer hemorrhage which has necessitated his withdrawal on physicians’ insistence from active participation in policy decisions.
Rptd Paris 42; sent Dept 145; paraphrases to Arab capitals.
- For documentation on representations by the United States to the French Committee of National Liberation concerning the Franco-Lebanese crisis of November 1943, see Foreign Relations, 1943, vol. iv, pp. 996 ff.↩
- Ibid., 1944, vol. v, p. 812.↩
- For documentation on this subject and precautions by the United States for the safety of Americans, see ibid., 1925, vol. ii, pp. 105 ff.↩
- No. A–60, May 24, 1945, not printed.↩