890D.01/8–2845
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Director of the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs (Henderson)
The Syrian Minister called on me today. During the course of our conversation he asked whether the problem of Syria and Lebanon had come up during the De Gaulle conversations.62 I replied that I had no information on the subject. He said that he supposed that he could assume that this problem had not arisen, since certainly the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs would have been consulted in case it had. I answered that it would not be safe for him to make such an assumption since it was quite possible that an exchange of views with regard to the policy in the Levant of each Government had [Page 1162] taken place. Both the President and the Secretary of State were fully acquainted with the policies of the American Government with regard to the Levant. There would be no reason, therefore, for them to consult with the Office of Near Eastern and African Affairs or with the Division of Near Eastern Affairs during the course of a discussion of this kind with General De Gaulle. I added that I was confident that there had been no change in our policy with regard to Syria and Lebanon in consequence of General De Gaulle’s visit.
- The memorandum covering the two conversations between President Truman and General de Gaulle on August 22, gives no indication of discussions on Syria and Lebanon (vol. iv, p. 707). The record of their conversation on August 24, printed in The War Memoirs of Charles de Gaulle: Salvation, 1944–1946, p. 553, makes a passing reference to the two countries. The joint statement of President Truman and General de Gaulle, released by the White House on August 25, is printed in vol. iv, p. 725. For memorandum of meeting by the Secretary of State and the French Foreign Minister on August 24, see p. 722.↩