890D.01/626: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Consul at Beirut (Gwynn)
135. While the Department appreciates the reasons which have doubtless caused you to delay in presenting to the Governments of Syria and Lebanon the aide-mémoires referred to in the Department’s 121, July 31, 11 p.m., developments connected with our general policy concerning the Arab peoples24a makes it important that we obtain the desired assurances from the Lebanese and Syrian Governments at the earliest moment. Unless subsequent developments have rendered inappropriate the aide-mémoires as drafted, they should be presented without further delay.
For your strictly confidential information, the Department contemplates the extension only of limited recognition to Syria and Lebanon, at least for the present. Since diplomatic agents are accredited by the United States to areas such as Morocco which are less than fully independent, the establishment of such a rank in Beirut would be in accord with the existing situation there.