890D.01/7–1145
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Kohler)
| Participants: | Mr. Michael Wright, Counselor, British Embassy |
| Mr. Henderson | |
| Mr. Kohler |
Mr. Michael Wright called at his request to read to us a telegram from the Foreign Office regarding the status of the British proposal to the French and ourselves for the convocation in London of a tripartite conference on the situation in the Levant States. The Foreign [Page 1157] Office expressed its great appreciation of the willingness of the Department to participate in such conversations either in London or elsewhere and of our offer to do anything we could to help secure French consent. The Foreign Office felt, however, that in view of the way the situation had developed nothing could be done at the present time to expedite the holding of the proposed conference.
It was pointed out that the French were now seeking a solution by direct approaches to the Lebanese (and Syrians) and that there was little likelihood of their consenting to a tripartite conference unless and until these approaches failed.
The Foreign Office further stated that it would be reluctant to agree to hold the conversations in Paris or other French territory, which would require a French chairman and enable the French to put all the blame on the British. Furthermore, Mr. Eden himself desired to conduct conversations on this question and, consequently, neutral territory, such as Switzerland, would likewise be ruled out.
Mr. Henderson expressed his agreement with the observations of the Foreign Office, adding that it was also clear that the French were inclined to oppose U.S. participation in conversations on the Levant situation.