890D.01/5–345: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Minister to Syria and Lebanon (Wadsworth)
128. Reurtel 117, May 3, 3 p.m.86 The considerations expressed in your final paragraph are fully appreciated by the Department. You may inform the appropriate officials of the Syrian and Lebanese Governments in the following sense: We received information only a few days ago of this proposed move of the French and promptly instructed our Ambassador in Paris to make energetic representations to the French regarding the unwisdom of any such action on their part. Since we have not yet been informed that the representations have been made, we do not know as yet the French reply.
You may add that we hope also that, if the French land additional troops in spite of our advice, the Lebanese and Syrian Governments will do everything in their power to keep the situation in hand in the Levant.
For your information we have discussed with a representative of the British Embassy here the possibility that Britain might take up de Gaulle’s statement that he would withdraw French troops in the Levant if the British would do likewise, and might consider arranging with the French at once that at least a tentative date be set for a progressive parallel removal of the forces of both countries.
Sent to Beirut. Repeated to Paris and London.
- Not printed; it requested the promptest possible authorization to discuss with Syrian and Lebanese officials the arrival of the French troops. The last paragraph reads: “The personal relations of mutual trust which we have established with Syrian President and Ministers, thanks in largest measure to forthright declarations of policy and frank explanations received from the Department during last two and a half years, would I feel be undermined were any inconsistency with such past practice to color our attitude at this perhaps seriously critical moment.” (890D.01/5–345)↩