Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, The Near East and Africa, Volume VIII

890D.01/7–545

The Head of the French Delegation at the United Nations Conference on International Organization (Paul-Boncour) to the Chairman of the Conference (Stettinius)

[Translation]

San Francisco, 24 June, 1945.

Aide-Mémoire

1. —The Chairman of the United Nations Conference has been informed of the grievous incidents which have taken place in the Levant States and which have deeply stirred public opinion in France and borne upon the good relations between France and the United Kingdom.

2. —The French Government have attempted to resort to various procedures in order to fully elucidate the origin and nature of these incidents, and to initiate a conciliatory settlement. In the last instance they proposed a conference of the Five Powers. None of these proposals have been agreed to.

3. —The French Government are fully aware of the fact that in the present state of things, the Organization which has been provided for in the Charter is not yet established and that the San Francisco Conference is not competent to decide in the substance of a political dispute. Therefore their purpose is neither to refer this dispute to the United Nations Conference nor to promote the discussion by the Conference of the Levant difficulties. They have only in mind to take the opportunity of the United Nations representatives here convened, to seek their support in view of the designation, in conditions acceptable by all, of three neutral and impartial commissioners who would investigate the origin of the dispute and thus facilitate its conciliatory settlement.

4. —This designation, which does not require a discussion of substance, could be made by the Executive Committee or through such procedure as the latter would recommend.⁴¹

41. No indication of a formal reply to the French aide-mémoire found in Department files. On July 2, 1945, the Acting Secretary of State (Grew) sent copies of the memorandum of conversation (printed infra), the French aide-mémoire, and a translation to the Ambassador in France and the Minister to Syria and Lebanon under instructions 1157 and 452, and stated: “The French Embassy has not as yet approached the Department on the subject.” (890D.01/7–545) There is no indication in the Department files that the French made any further approach on the subject.