890D.01/6–245: Telegram
The Minister to Syria and Lebanon (Wadsworth) to the Secretary of State
[Received 7:20 p.m.]
174. I arrived at Damascus 5 p.m. yesterday. Brit MP2 post passed me into city. Streets were empty except for an occasional gendarme and emerging civilian, French troops having withdrawn only shortly before. En route to Leg I stopped at Serai,3 Hotel4 and Parliament. They were unguarded, empty, gaping with bullet holes, littered with shattered glass, Parliament benches overturned, papers scattered.
Quarter hour later some 60 British tanks and armored cars entered city taking up positions at important squares and crossroads. Relatively [Page 1132] few Brit troops in tracks followed (a battalion being stationed outside city). People emerged from houses and cheered.
Gen Paget called with Brit Min on Pres who was still in bed at his home; Mins soon foregathered there. Paget gave Pres copy of communications he had handed Beynet in Beirut that morning and stressed that his was soldiering job to reestablish order and not to determine political issues.
Paget did, however, agree to issue gendarmerie long promised automatic weapons and reconnaissance cars (and additional 500 rifles) thus solving that long pending question which to him has always been of military rather than political character.
Paget’s communication to Beynet opened: “Owing to the grave situation which has arisen in the Levant States I have by [as] Supreme Commander in the Middle East Theatre been ordered by my Govt to assume command in Syria and Lebanon. My aim is to restore order as quickly as possible.”
To this end, it continued, certain orders must be carried out forthwith. These were briefly that all orders issued by him be obeyed without question and that French troops and Troupes Spéciales withdraw to barracks, French aircraft remain grounded and naval units in harbor. Special reference was made to supplies for troops and safety of French families and hope was expressed that Beynet would cooperate “to terminate as quickly as possible a state of affairs which we both of us deplore”.
Final paragraph, added at Churchill’s special request, stated “as soon as firing has ceased and order has been restored it is proposed that discussions shall be held in London between French and Brit Govts which the Govt of the US will attend.”
Discussing this communication later with Gens Paget and Pilleau they told me their meeting with Beynet had been formal and somewhat strained but that he had been “reasonable” and had showed them translation of instructions he had rec’d from de Gaulle informing him French Govt had been notified that Brit intervention was to take place and that he was not to oppose Brit orders.
They had then agreed that such orders would be implemented thru a joint Anglo-French staff presided by Brit Ninth Army. This staff has already met and will implement orders already issued dealing with transport, censorship, local broadcasting, French civilian aircraft and OCP. Latter is to be operated under Brit command without French participation.
Paget told me his very extensive preparations had been necessitated by uncertainty as to whether de Gaulle would send appropriate instructions to Beynet. He had even prepared for active French resistance. He was obviously relieved it had not come to that.
[Page 1133]His plans are to move all French troops to camp near Kayak in Lebanon and Troupes Spéciales in disaffected Syrian centers to camps well away from cities. He plans too to require Beynet to remove Gen Oliva-Roget5 from Damascus command as being most immediately responsible for “wanton destruction”. He sent Brit columns to north Syria yesterday and will himself visit Horns, Hama and Aleppo today.
He said also that in Lebanon his only action had been to order all French troops except those on outside guard duty to remain in barracks as precautionary measure against spread of conflict. He did not, however, know how long he could “keep them inside” for his orders were simply to intervene to stop fighting.
He was obviously somewhat anxious on this latter score feeling that Lebanese Nationalist leaders equally desirous of ridding their country of French soldiery might precipitate clashes. He and Brit Min had therefore urged strongly on Leb Pres and PriMin that their cause when considered in London would be harmed rather than helped by such action. In line with your earlier instructions I plan to second these representations in general terms.
Finally Paget expressed highest gratification that Amer Govt had lent full moral support to this intervention. Only thereby, he felt, had it been possible to induce de Gaulle to yield and only our backing and participation in forthcoming London discussions could assuage French fears and those of Nationalist extremists in Arab countries that move might be simply of Brit designing to replace French by Brit influence. In point of fact, he said, both Brit and French troops will leave.
In this connection he welcomed particularly presence of Amer correspondents and assistance which Amer University hospital is preparing to render Syrian medical authorities. I had taken dean of medical school with me to Damascus and arrangements were made on his return for despatch today of first aid units and supplies to that city and to Horns.
A following telegram6 will report my visit yesterday to Syrian Pres and MinFonAff both of whom expressed high appreciation of support rec’d from Pres Truman and Amer Govt.
I have repeated no telegrams to London. If negotiations are to take place there it might be well were Paris to forward by pouch copies of those sent during last month and of future messages.
Rptd Paris as 64, paraphrased to Arab caps.