890.00/10–1845: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Gallman) to the Secretary of State
[Received 10:36 p.m.]
10909. Embassy telegram 10288 October 3, 5 p.m. Following additional information re Anglo-French conversations on Levant has been given us by officials of Eastern Department of Foreign Office.
Meetings opened with French asking for what would have amounted to virtual restoration of their previous position in Levant. British demurred and suggested proceeding with discussion of immediate question of troop withdrawal. French agreed and paper was prepared for submission to both Governments providing:
- (1)
- French and British military authorities should draw up plan for withdrawal which would take into consideration (a) desirability of avoiding reduction of troops beyond point where minimum security requirements could be met in time of possible need and (b) fixing date for final withdrawal to coincide with assumption of defense obligation by United Nations Organization.
- (2)
- Arrangement would be made for talks with Syrians and Lebanese on troop withdrawal and also certain other matters such as schools.
Following drawing up of this paper French suggested that it would be much easier to obtain approval of French Govt to troop withdrawal if that proposal were accompanied by plan for general Anglo-French cooperation in Arab countries and they submitted paper to that effect which British did not find to their liking and French were so advised. British observed, however, that they assumed that decision on definite proposals re withdrawal would not be conditional on action taken on wider paper and it was their understanding that French agreed.
British Government promptly approved paper on troop withdrawal and when no reply received from French Foreign Office telephoned Paris several days ago inquiring re status of latter. French said they were still waiting for reply to second paper and indicated that they hesitated to approach de Gaulle on basis of first paper only. British stated that they had already given reply on second paper and it was in negative.
Having reached this apparent deadlock Foreign Office has been going through second French paper again with view to seeing whether area of disagreement with French might not be narrowed by picking out certain points which might serve as possible basis for discussion [Page 1172] but results were not promising. British still seeking to find way out of impasse but next move problematical.76
Sent Department as 10909, repeated Paris as 673 and Beirut as 21.
- In telegram 11483, November 2, 1945, 7 p.m., the Ambassador in the United Kingdom reported that the British Foreign Office had given “further examination of French second paper covering general relations of the British and French in Near East, [and] it had been decided that there were certain points of broad principle on which it might be possible to reach agreement and that proposal to that effect had been put to French”. (741.51/11–245)↩