890D.01/12–1845: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Caffery)

secret

60. If favorable opportunity presents itself you may wish to inform M. Bidault4 or some other appropriate Foreign Ministry official that Dept’s views re Anglo-French Levant agreement are those contained in first three paragraphs of Dept’s 5975, Dec. 20, 9 p.m.5 As stated in Dept’s 6069, Dec. 28, 7 p.m.,6 these views were made clear, at Mr. Bevin’s7 request, to Brit Govt which has indicated that substance thereof was communicated to French.

Oral communication received from Brit Emb here quotes Mr. Bevin as stating in fact that our views enabled Brit “to represent very forcibly to French Govt objections which would be felt in America to the phrase ‘the leading role’ (contained in first draft agreement shown Dept) and as a result we were able eventually to induce French Govt to agree to revised wording which is not open to similar objection”.

Sent Paris. Repeated London and Beirut for Damascus.

Byrnes
  1. Georges Bidault, French Minister for Foreign Affairs.
  2. This was a repeat of telegram 413 to Beirut, Foreign Relations, 1945, vol. viii, p. 1184.
  3. This was a repeat of telegram 420 to Beirut, ibid., p. 1187.
  4. Ernest Bevin, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.