Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, The Near East and Africa, Volume VIII

890D.01/6–1145

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Merriam)

[Washington,] June 11, 1945.

Mr. Zurayk²⁷ came in at his own request and inquired as to our attitude toward the proposed discussions looking to a settlement of the crisis in the Levant States.

I replied that we had, as he doubtless knew, received a communication from the French on the subject, but that I was not in a position to indicate to him the nature of our reply. Our general attitude toward arrangements for the conversations had been mentioned by the President in his revised statement to the press on June 7, to the effect that the United States would have no intention of discussing a solution of the Syrian problem at a meeting from which France, Syria and Lebanon were absent.

Dr. Zurayk asked whether it would be proper for him to report to his Government that this was our general attitude. I said I saw no reason why he should not inform his Government of the President’s revised statement, and gave him a copy of the text (attached).

The Chargé then asked whether I thought there was any step his Government might usefully take at this juncture with respect to the proposed conversations, pointing out that Syria was most anxious to coordinate its policy with the policy of this Government.

I replied that I did not, at the moment, think that any step along this line was needed from the Syrian Government. We were fully aware that Syria wanted to be brought into such conversations as might be arranged, and of the desirability of settling the Levant States problem as soon as possible. However, we felt that it would be a good thing if the conversations could take place on the best possible footing. Since there was some difference of opinion as to what the footing should be, it might take a little time to work the matter out. In the meantime, we hoped that there would be a cooling-down all around.

[Annex]

Statement to the Press by President Truman

[Washington, June 7, 1945.]

“When replying this afternoon to a question at his press conference which related to a proposed meeting of the Five Powers to settle the Syrian question, the President indicated that it would not be desirable to have such a meeting in view of the imminence of the meeting of the Big Three.²⁸ This of course does not mean that the United States would have any intention of discussing a solution of the Syrian problem at a meeting from which France, Syria and Lebanon were absent.”

27. Costi K. Zurayk, Syrian Chargé
28. The Tripartite Conference at Berlin, attended by the heads of the Governments of the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Soviet Union, from July 17 to August 2, 1945. For documentation on the Conference, see Foreign Relations, The Conference of Berlin (The Potsdam Conference), 1945, 2 vols.