890D.01/5–2545
The Syrian Chargé ( Zurayk ) to the Acting Secretary of State
Sir: I have the honor to inform you that I have been instructed by my Government to call the attention of the Government of the United States of America to the growing seriousness of the situation in Syria, brought about by the new demands of France and her sending of fresh troops to our country.
The demands of the French Government for cultural and economic privileges and for military bases in Syria, as a condition for the transfer of the Troupes Spéciales to the Syrian Government, and its stipulation that even then these forces should remain under French military command, constitute an encroachment on the national sovereignty of our country, whose independence has been fully recognized by the United States Government and whose representatives are now participating with the representatives of the other United Nations at San Francisco in the drawing up of a Charter of International Organization.
As one of the United Nations, Syria has always been ready and willing to shoulder her responsibilities in the new World Organization, and for this purpose she legitimately wishes to enjoy the rights of independence and full sovereignty, first among which is the possession of military authority over her own territory.
It is the decided policy of the Syrian Government to cultivate cooperation and mutual understanding with all the United Nations. It sees no reason why it should grant any privileges to any single Power, especially when such privileges limit its independence and condition its sovereignty.
Instead of recognizing this natural and historical right of Syria, the French Government has delayed the transfer to the Syrian Government of the Troupes Spéciales—which are predominantly composed of Syrian nationals—and has lately made this transfer conditional on the Syrian Government’s acceptance of its demands for a privileged cultural, economic and military position in Syria.
[Page 1101]Furthermore, the French Government has sent new troops to Syria. This measure, in the view of my Government, can be interpreted only as a means of exerting pressure on it to accept the French demands. This appears from the fact that the first contingent of troops arrived on May 8, a few days before the French representative General Beynet presented to the Syrian Government the demands of his Government (May 19 [18]). The second contingent came just on the eve of the latter day.
The Syrian Government and people have protested vehemently against this new move, in which they see a threat to their independence and to their freedom. The situation grows daily more serious, and its repercussions are spreading through all the Arab Middle East. While the Syrian Government is ready to continue to exercise the utmost self-restraint and to do its best to relieve the present tension, it cannot but protest against and resist this attempt to impose upon it conditions and demands which bind the future of the Syrian people.
The Syrian Government deeply appreciates the sense of fairness and justice with which the United States Government has always viewed this question. It has therefore every reason to hope that the United States Government will exercise its utmost to secure its prompt and just settlement, on the basis of Syria’s internationally recognized independence and full sovereignty.
Please accept [etc.]