500.CC/5–2945
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Kohler)
Subject: The Crisis in Syria and Lebanon.
| Participants: | H. E. Abdel Hamid Badawi Pasha, Chairman of the Egyptian Delegation. |
| Arshad al-Omari, Chairman of the Iraqi Delegation. | |
| Wadih Nairn, Chairman of the Lebanese Delegation. | |
| H. R. H. Faisal Ibn Abdul Aziz, Chairman of the Saudi Arabian Delegation. | |
| Faris al-Khouri, Chairman of the Syrian Delegation. | |
| Dr. Fadhil al-Jamali, Director General of Foreign Affairs of Iraq. | |
| The Secretary of State. | |
| Mr. James C. Dunn, Assistant Secretary of State. | |
| Mr. Foy D. Kohler, Department of State. |
At the request of Amir Faisal, the Secretary today received the chairmen of all the Arab delegations. The Syrian Prime Minister, acting as spokesman, recited the development of the situation much as reported in the Department’s telegrams. He said that while an unknown French source had said that the French troops recently landed in Syria and Lebanon were on their way to the Far East, it was [Page 1111] obvious that they were not en route anywhere but were going to stay in Syria and Lebanon. In this connection, he cited statements by General Beynet and by M. Bidault which frankly indicated that French troops would remain in Syria and Lebanon until the French had received satisfactory assurances as to the protection of their interests in those countries and the fulfillment of their demands upon them. The Prime Minister said he realized that this was a political matter and that it was being dealt with by the State Department in Washington. He felt, however, that it was a Conference matter since the aggression of one of the so-called big five-powers against small states at the time when we were seeking to create an organization for future world peace and security was most disruptive to the atmosphere and hence to the work of the Conference at San Francisco. It was for this reason that he ventured to disturb the Secretary with an ostensibly extraneous matter. Amir Faisal, in supporting the Syrian Premier’s statement, added that his government was very concerned that if there were any delay in reaching a solution, a new situation might be created which would make an equitable readjustment increasingly difficult.
The Secretary replied that we were gravely concerned about the situation which had arisen in Syria and Lebanon following the landing of French troops. He categorically reaffirmed that United States policy toward the independence and sovereignty of Syria and Lebanon, as set forth in communications of President Roosevelt and of the State Department, remains and will continue to remain unchanged. The Secretary said that we have already made very strong representations to the French on this subject and assured the Arab delegates that the United States will do everything in its power to find an early and satisfactory solution. In conclusion, the Prime Minister presented the attached written communication, dated May 28, signed by himself and by Wadih Nairn, Chairman of the Lebanese delegation.60
- Not printed; it submitted a summary of Syrian and Lebanese views of their relations with France entitled “An Exposé of the Relations of the Syrian and Lebanese Republics with France, on the Occasion of the Recent Events.”↩