890D.01/710

Memorandum by Lieutenant Colonel Harold B. Hoskins70

Syria and Lebanon

In the course of a conversation with the President on September 27, 1943, dealing primarily with Saudi Arabia, I mentioned the opinion of Ibn Saud that the French would not voluntarily withdraw from Syria and Lebanon when the war is over.

At this point the President stated that he felt that the French should be forced to live up to their promise to give independence to these two countries, and asked my opinion. I answered that, based on my own knowledge of the situation, I agreed heartily with him in his opinion and stated that I felt justice required this Government to follow such a course.

  1. Copies sent by the Department on October 26 to London, Algiers, Beirut, Damascus, and Cairo. For correspondence regarding the Hoskins Mission to countries of the Middle East, see pp. 796827, passim.