890D.01/9–1845: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister to Syria and Lebanon (Wadsworth)
277. Syrian Minister informed Dept this morning that his Foreign Office had asked him to check accuracy of certain info which had [Page 1167] reached Syrian Legation Washington allegedly from French official sources. This info was to effect that during De Gaulle’s visit in US it had been arranged that American Govt would support French demands for bases in Levant in return for French agreement to give certain bases to US in Africa. Minister said he was sure this info was incorrect since such an agreement in opinion of his Govt and himself would not be in keeping with principles on which American foreign policy is based.
Minister was informed that report in question was without any foundation in fact and that subject of bases in Levant so far as Dept was aware had not been discussed with French during De Gaulle’s visit.
Sent Beirut repeated Paris and Secdel66 London.
- Code designation used to identify telegraphic messages sent by the Department to the Secretary of State while he was head of the United States delegation to the Council of Foreign Ministers, which met at London from September 11 to October 2, 1945. For documentation on the meetings of the Council, see vol. ii, pp. 99 ff.↩