890E.00/136: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Diplomatic Agent and Consul General at Beirut (Wadsworth)
161. Your 192, May 25, 7 p.m. You should seek an appropriate occasion to inform Helleu of this Government’s interest in the coming elections in Syria and Lebanon on the lines suggested in the penultimate paragraph of your telegram under reference and draw his attention to the two incidents involving American interests mentioned in the final paragraph thereof.
The Department is of the opinion that no useful purpose would be served by mentioning specific past instances of partisan censorship in Syria and Lebanon. You may, however, point out that there was constantly increasing relaxation of the censorship in North Africa as respects the Fighting French following the Allied landings in North Africa; and that this Government hopes that French authorities everywhere will henceforth suppress all factional tendencies, whether in connection with the censorship or other activities, in a sincere effort to make French unity effective at the earliest possible date.