851R.00/6–2145: Airgram

The Minister in Egypt (Tuck) to the Secretary of State

A–331. I received the visit yesterday of Abdul Rahman Azzam Bey, Secretary General of the League of Arab States, who said that he had come to me for advice as to what steps might be taken in obtaining the intervention of our Government with the French in connection with the serious situation now obtaining in North Africa. He had read in the press, and had heard from various other sources, that Arab leaders in North Africa were suffering severe persecution and that French Courts Martial had been set up in Algeria which were engaged in passing death sentences on numerous persons accused of fomenting the recent disorders.

Azzam Bey assured me that he wished, if possible, to avoid calling a meeting of the Council of the League of Arab States to consider the situation, although he reminded me that the Second Annex to the Conference of Arab States held in March, 1945 provides for cooperation with the Arab States not members of the Council of the League. Azzam Bey appeared to consider that a large degree of moral responsibility lay with the United States in the matter, inasmuch as it was the military forces of the United States which had saved the North African possessions for France and had re-established French domination over them. He therefore hoped that our Government might be willing to intervene with the French Government and counsel moderation and humane treatment for the alleged political disturbers. By so doing, he said, the United States could still save the lives of many Arabs in North Africa.

I recalled to Azzam Bey that he had previously stressed to me that the Council of the Arab League considered that the problem which faced it during its recent meeting was confined to the situation in the Levant. I offered the personal opinion that if the Council of the League were to be convened to consider the situation in North Africa, such a step might justify the belief that the Arab League was now disposed to bring up all questions relating to the Middle East which, [Page 31] incidentally, was precisely what the French Government appeared anxious to do.

It was agreed that Azzam Bey should send me an informal letter setting forth his views which, I said, I would be glad to forward to the Department for its information. The Legation’s airgram no. 330 of June 211 embodies the text of Azzam Bey’s letter to me on this subject.

The Department may wish to give consideration to the possibility of approaching the French Government with a view to securing more lenient treatment by the French authorities in the suppression of the recent disorders in North Africa.

Copies to: Beirut, Baghdad, Damascus, Jidda, Jerusalem, Aden, Tunis, Algiers, Casablanca, Rabat, Paris and London.

Tuck
  1. Not printed.