890d.01/7–145: Telegram
No. 639
The Minister in Lebanon (Wadsworth) to the Secretary of State ad interim
206. Lebanese FonMin Pharaon informed me yesterday that Ostrorog’s “conciliatory” proposal (Deptel 187, June 261) as communicated to him “officieusement” on June 28 was that Troupes Spéciales be transferred and that French troops withdraw from Levant simultaneously with Brit troops, thus ending tension created by recent incidents and permitting France and Levant states “in atmosphere of restored good will to work out their common problems”. Nature of ensuing discussion suggests that by this démarche French hope to by-pass Brit proposal for London conference with Amer participation.
[Page 966]Pharaon’s answer made clear that while transfer of Troupes Spéciales and withdrawal of French troops were among main Syrian and Leb desiderata and while minor outstanding questions (such as French-retained “common interests”, see penultimate pgh my 173, June 12) might be made subject of bilateral discussion, Syrian and Leb Govts’ firmly-shared conviction was that basic issue of future Franco-Levant treaty relations could be effectively settled only within framework of international discussion.
As, however, Ostrorog’s offer was not conditioned on any commitment in this latter regard, Pharaon, after consultation with Syrian FonMin Mardam, replied orally in second conversation had yesterday that informal reaction of Syrian as well as Leb Govt to this informal démarche “might well be taken as being on the whole favorable” and that consequently Ostrorog “could so inform his govt and request authorization to put his offer formally”. Ostrorog had answered that he would arrange with Beynet to telegraph immediately to Paris in this sense.
Concluding our conversation (of which memo2 is being forwarded in next pouch) Pharaon voiced some apprehension lest this French démarche be simply another maneuver designed “to isolate us” and to postpone a showdown until after Big Three had met this month.
I will report more fully as to Syrian reaction after seeing Mardam later this week. Pharaon tells me Mardam’s initial reaction was “that they could place no confidence in Ostrorog or in sincerity of his proposal”. (Sent Dept as 206, rptd Paris as 75 with request to rpt to London; paraphrases to Arab caps.) I doubt that it will modify basic position of Syrian leaders, e. g. as voiced by Chamber President Jabri last week in Aleppo Mosque: “We have one present aim, to force France to quit our country.”