740.0011 European War 1939/25817: Telegram
The Diplomatic Agent and Consul General at Beirut (Wadsworth) to the Secretary of State
[Received 3:49 p.m.]
458. After leaving copy of my letter of credence with the Lebanese Foreign Minister yesterday morning I called by appointment on General Catroux who returned my call the same afternoon because as he informed me confidentially he is to leave by air today for London “for important consultations”. From both my welcome was most cordial. I am to be received by President Naccache tomorrow.
As a former military commander in North Africa the General expressed high admiration of our expedition’s success but confessed himself seriously perturbed at our apparent close liaison with Admiral Darlan33 whom he characterized as bitterly Anglophobe and irretrievably unpopular among the great majority of metropolitan Frenchmen who now more than ever before he believes will repudiate the Vichy policies of surrender and collaboration and look for leadership to the Fighting French notably in the present juncture because of their constant championship of France’s position overseas.
He could explain but hardly condone this liaison on grounds of temporary military expediency designed to reestablish order and perhaps to influence the French Fleet in Toulon to join our forces. He fears however that enemy dispositions now militate strongly against success of the latter move.
[Page 667]His own loyalty to General de Gaulle was reaffirmed in a message made public last night in which he stressed the necessity of “standing in close formation around the flag which you refused to lower before the enemy”.
The local situation he said had improved, with Lebanese factional jealousies considerably eased by an understanding recently reached between President and Maronite Patriarch for joint effort to combat any action aimed by Syrians at circumscribing Lebanon’s present territorial boundaries or by its own Moslem elements at union with Syria. Similar easing of political rivalries in Syria he added might be expected to result from reestablishment of the suspended constitutional regime, in which connection he seemed disposed if the military situation continues favorable to hold elections next spring “provided always that this be not under British aegis”.
- Adm. Jean François Darlan, Commander in Chief of all French Armed Forces.↩