890d.01/65: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Herrick)
159. Telegram of May 18 from Grew3 states that he is advised that France may try to oppose Palestine Mandate, the basis for this opposition being that French have not been able to reach agreement with the United States concerning Syria.
The following is submitted, in view of the foregoing, for your guidance should French Foreign Office bring up this question:
The French stated in their reply of December 22 to our memorandum concerning A and B mandates that this matter would be dealt with in a later communication, as the status of the territories in the Near East had not been legally defined. (See Department’s instruction No. 1094 of December 29.4)
The British answered the August memorandum in similar terms but followed up their communication at once with detailed consideration of the Palestine Mandate. Balfour urgently pressed this matter when he was in America. There followed an exchange of notes with the result that a general agreement was reached as to the terms on which the Palestine Mandate would be recognized by the United States.
The Department is entirely ready to proceed to the consideration of the Mandate for Syria, but the French Government has not attempted to come to an agreement as the British did with regard to Palestine. It is the view of the Department that properly it is for France to take the initiative in bringing up this matter.
- Joseph C. Grew, Minister in Switzerland.↩
- Foreign Relations, 1921, vol. i, p. 925.↩