740.0011 European War 1939/5445: Telegram

The Consul General at Beirut ( Palmer ) to the Secretary of State

88. Reference to Department’s telegram 51, August 15 [16] and my 82, August 20. Approximately 1,000 reservists originally due to leave for France yesterday on the steamship Dessirada are now scheduled to sail tomorrow. Departure of further equal contingent on steamship Sidiabbas likewise in port awaits British authorization. Remainder ready to leave on steamers expected shortly; but British Consul General recently communicated to High Commission warning of Admiral commanding British naval forces in the Mediterranean that, although British make no attempt to seize lentils and other foodstuffs unauthorizedly shipped on steamships Providence and Athos that left here on August 16 with reservists under safe conduct, no further such shipments will be allowed to pass. Consul General has referred to London request of French authorities here that one last shipment of 400 tons of lentils be authorized but he is not counting on the favorable reply that he has recommended as an easy step toward better official relations.

Persistent refusal of Vichy Government to agree to British proposal that French steamship Patria held at Haifa since armistice be exchanged for three British ships of approximately equivalent aggregate tonnage similarly held here until their formal seizure of July 31 when their crews were arrested, as reported in my telegrams 63 and 65 of August first,20 continues to meet unyielding insistence of British naval authorities that British seamen concerned be allowed to leave on their ships.

These 40 British seamen, whose original internment in army barracks previously occupied by native troops and admitted by French Army officers to be unsanitary was the subject of energetic British protests, have recently been returned to these barracks from the former German and Italian internment camp near Sidon, to permit of the reinternment on September 7 of Germans unwilling to [return to?] Germany and therefore considered, the High Commissioner tells me, as entitled to “right of asylum” here.

The British Consul General informs me that the return of the seamen to the barracks was without the knowledge of the High Commissioner; that the latter promptly undertook to have them transferred to a mountain village; that because of the possibility that partial liberty might involve them in irritating incidents the Consulate General was instructed to request that they be quartered aboard their [Page 908] ships; that this request has been refused by the French naval authorities who seem to be inclined to make concessions in respect to the seamen conditional upon receipt from Palestine of September quota of gasoline on which this month’s rationing is based.

More disturbing than delays in settlement of immediate problem of fuel for motor transport are successive indications from London that British approval of Palestine clearing agreement will be withheld until both ships and seamen are released. Consequent necessity for control of gasoline and foodstuffs ordinarily obtained largely from abroad was explained by High Commissioner in recent radio broadcast as due to economic pressure on the part of the British in disregard of the well-being of the people of the Near East; but his address made little impression among the native population, either Moslem or Christian, and aroused no enthusiasm among the French here. He failed to discredit contrary statements in French and Arabic circular of undisclosed but suspected British origin that is understood to have been widely accepted in French military and native circles and to have given timely impetus to a growing sentiment in favor of the British which has been particularly noticeable since the arrival of military delegation of Italian armistice commission on August 28.

In general the relations of this delegation with local French delegation evolve no ground for dissatisfaction; but in respect to certain minor instances of Italian disregard for the French and with reference to indications that several Italian consular officers formerly stationed in Syria and Lebanon would soon be returning in a pseudo-military capacity as additional members of this delegation the High Commissioner has protested to Vichy.

Problem of repatriation of nearly 40,000 reservists still awaiting transportation is complicated by restlessness of colonial and other regular forces. Officers admit that this has increased considerably since arrival of Italian delegation and effective development of British propaganda, including daily French broadcasts from Jerusalem and Cairo. Troops have been cautioned against misrepresentative radio reports but individual departures for Palestine are not infrequent and even among officers there seems to be considerable satisfaction that some 30 planes reliably reported to have been flown to Palestine and Egypt since the armistice include several Curtiss bombers that have made their getaway since the Italian delegation’s arrival.

High Commissioner has expressed himself to me with resentment in respect to British radio propaganda from Palestine and Egypt, but he assures me that he has no knowledge or [of] origin of obviously local interference that recently has practically obliterated these particular programs. His attitude reflects nervousness naturally resulting from strain of conscientiously endeavoring to safeguard this mandated [Page 909] area and protect French and native interests here while representing distant government in which many of his associates, a greater number of the military forces and a vast majority of the native population now lack confidence. Rumors allegedly current in Palestine that French Army in Near East will soon join forces with British are manifestly inspired and premature but in local military circles there is a definite trend of thought in that direction.

Palmer
  1. Neither printed.