Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, The Conference of Berlin (The Potsdam Conference), 1945, Volume I

740.00119 Potsdam/7–1445

No. 645
The Assistant Secretary of State ( Dunn ) to the Secretary of State ¹

[Extracts]²

secret

Potsdam , July 14, 1945.

Memorandum for the Secretary

Sir Alexander Cadogan, Permanent Under-Secretary at the Foreign Office, called this afternoon and discussed for two hours in a preliminary way a number of matters on the agenda of the Conference.³

. . . . . . .

16. Levant.

Sir Alexander stated his Delegation was prepared to answer questions about the Levant problem if the Russians raised them. He stated that Bidault had declined an invitation to discuss the question in London and had asked that they [the discussions] be held in Paris and that his government was encouraging the French and Syrians to settle the question directly. With regard to the transfer of the special forces to local control, the only question left to settle was that of the time limit. Apparently France would be satisfied to conclude consular and commercial conventions with Syria and the Lebanon, leaving aside the question of bases.

. . . . . . .

James Clement Dunn

1. Printed from a carbon copy on which there is an uncertified typed signature.
2. For other extracts from this memorandum, see documents Nos. 140, 218, 234, 258, 319, 351, 379, 404, 470, 519, 635, 678, and 708.
3. For a list of persons present at this meeting, see document No. 234, footnote 3.