867N.01/10–2845
Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. Evan M. Wilson of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs
Dr. Zurayk6 called to hand me the attached translations of two telegrams7 received on October 29 from his Government, explaining that through inadvertence the exchange of letters between President Roosevelt and President Quwatly of Syria on Palestine had been made public in Iraq and expressing the Syrian Government’s regrets at this incident. I told Dr. Zurayk that we had heard of this (Damascus Legation telegram no. 76, October 28, 4 p.m.) and I assured him that we fully understood that the correspondence had been published through inadvertence.
[Page 805]I then asked Dr. Zurayk whether he had any information of newspaper reports to the effect that his Government had forbidden the entry of all Jews into Syria. I remarked that if these reports were substantiated we would undoubtedly receive a great number of communications from different groups in this country, Jewish and non-Jewish, as well as Zionist and non-Zionist, asking us to protest to the Syrian Government. Dr. Zurayk said that he had seen these reports but that the Legation had received no official confirmation and that the Syrian Consulate was in fact still issuing visas to Jews. He said that if such a decree had been passed it was undoubtedly due to the desire of his Government to prevent the illegal movement of Jews through Syria into Palestine rather than any attempt at discrimination against Jews as such. There was no such legal discrimination in Syria as far as he knew.