Office of the Historian

800.0146/50: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Diplomatic Agent and Consul General at Beirut (Wadsworth)

Washington, December 2, 1942—5 p.m.

262. Following telegram from London is repeated for your information:

“6577, November 21, 9 p.m. Foreign Office informs us that it and French National Committee have agreed orally to drop plan of reaching what is termed an ‘interpretative agreement’ on Syria along the lines of the existing draft understanding.80 Instead, Helleu80a is to submit a letter to the Foreign Office stating:

1.
That French National Committee is prepared to abandon plan of reaching an ‘interpretative agreement’.
2.
That elections will, however, be held in Syria, as previously agreed upon, and
3.
That French National Committee agrees to establish in London a joint British French Committee to deal with questions of importance affecting Syria.

Foreign Office is awaiting letter from Helleu in sense indicated above. It will let us know when it is received.”

London’s 6724, November 28, 5 p.m.81 confirms that letter in question has been delivered to British Foreign Office.

Hull
  1. The text of a draft agreement of the nature referred to was supplied to the Department by a British official on October 27, 1942, not printed.↩
  2. Jean Helleu, Acting Delegate for France in Syria and Lebanon (in the absence of General Catroux).↩
  3. Not printed.↩