Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1944, The Near East, South Asia, and Africa, The Far East, Volume V

890E.01/10–444

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Kohler)

[Washington,] October 4, 1944.

Participants:	Mr. Michael Wright, Counselor, British Embassy
	Mr. Murray, NEA
	Mr. Alling, NEA
	Mr. Kohler, NE

Mr. Wright called to continue his recent discussions with us regarding the situation in Syria and Lebanon, and handed to Mr. Murray the attached documents received from the Foreign Office,⁵⁷ namely:

1) Text of telegram from Mr. Eden to the Earl of Halifax⁵⁸ dated September 26, 1944, summarizing a letter from the Syrian President to Mr. Churchill;

2) Text of telegram from Mr. Eden to the Earl of Halifax dated September 26, 1944, repeating the text of a telegram addressed to Mr. Eden by the Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs;

3) Text of telegram from Mr. Eden to Sir Edward Spears dated October 1, 1944, containing British reply to Syrian Foreign Minister.

We informed Mr. Wright that communications similar to 1) and 2) above had likewise been addressed to President Roosevelt and the Secretary by the same Syrian officials.

Mr. Wright said that Sir Edward Spears had been instructed to emphasize to the Syrians, in delivering 3) above, that it was no part of the intention of the British Government to impose any particular procedures or any particular conditions in suggesting the negotiation of a treaty with the French; that the British Government considered the present time the most favorable for the Syrians and Lebanese to obtain confirmation and regularization of their independence and interests and felt the local Governments would make a mistake if they did not give serious consideration to this factor.

Mr. Wright continued that the Foreign Office, referring to the exchanges of views on this subject between the Embassy and the Department last year, had asked the Embassy to express the earnest hope that the Department would agree with its present views.

Elaborating as to the timeliness of negotiations now, Mr. Wright emphasized that with the favorable developments of hostilities the time would soon be reached when British forces, which had been a source of strong support for the local Governments, would have to be withdrawn.

… It seemed important to him [Mr. Murray] that the British and ourselves should do what we could to persuade the French that their own best interests would be served by a friendly and generous attitude toward the Syrians and Lebanese rather than insistence upon a legalistic and dictatorial approach.

Mr. Wright strongly agreed and undertook to recommend to London that Mr. Duff-Cooper⁵⁹ be asked to talk with the French in this sense. Mr. Murray said that he would try to discuss the matter also with Mr. Caffery,⁶⁰ prior to his departure for Paris.

Concluding the discussion, it was generally agreed that it was not necessary at this time to raise the technical question of the capacity of the French Committee of National Liberation to enter into a treaty of the nature in question, since present developments indicated that there would probably be a recognized provisional French Government before any negotiations came to a conclusion.

57. None printed.
58. British Ambassador.
59. Alfred Duff Cooper, formerly British Representative with the French Committee of National Liberation; appointed Ambassador to France, October 23, 1944.
60. Jefferson Caffery, Representative to the de facto French Authority at Paris; appointed Ambassador to France, November 25, 1944.