U.S. Department of State (July 8, 1941)
740.0011 European War 1939/12909: TelegramThe Consul General at Beirut to the Secretary of State
Beirut, July 8, 1941 — 11 a.m.
[Received 2:40 p.m.]
282.
General Dentz obviously had no knowledge of the proposal emanating from the Australian Commander-in-Chief quoted in the Department’s 127, July 5, 7 p.m. In accordance with the point of view expressed in my 278, July 7, I did not of course make any mention of it. As the record now stands the High Commissioner’s present request for a suspension of hostilities is his own and not a reply to some real or imaginary British proposal. And that, I maintain, is as it should be in view of all the circumstances.
General Dentz received me in an empty house — the third his headquarters have occupied since the outbreak of hostilities because of the air raids — and I found the place in a state of utmost confusion. It was evident that he and his staff were about to evacuate Beirut. Incidentally even Conty and other officials of the political bureau were in uniform with large pistols strapped around their waists. The General briefly introduced the subject by stating that the British had broken through at Damour and although they had been counterattacked and had suffered heavy losses they had received reinforcements while the French had not and he had therefore been instructed by Vichy to suggest an immediate suspension of hostilities. But he added with his usual defiance “the game is by no means up yet”.
I learn indirectly that the French became discouraged when they found that reinforcements could arrive only in relatively small numbers and that they would soon be short of arms and ammunition as a result of the sinking of the Saint Didier by British planes at Adalia. A French airman also stated that the air force had lost 120 planes between June 8 and July 2 and were difficult to replace. Moreover, even General Dentz did not quite dare invite active German military support more because he knew how strongly his subordinates felt on the subject. But he always implied that he might after all have to resort to it if the British pushed him too hard. So that when Germany attacked Russia and he realized that no help on a large scale could possibly be forthcoming for at least several months his last trump card failed him.
I understand that General Dentz will move his headquarters to Tripoli where the American Girls School has just been taken over by the military presumably for that purpose. Garrison there is now said to number about 6,000. Three large planes are constantly being kept in readiness in Beirut for the evacuation of the High Commissioner and his staff. Gold reserves mentioned in my 221, June 17, amounting to 800,000 sterling have already been shipped to France by air and all stocks of unissued banknotes have been destroyed.
ENGERT
740.00119 European War 1939/759: TelegramThe Ambassador in France to the Secretary of State
Vichy, July 8, 1941 — 6 p.m.
[Received 6:18 p.m.]
828.We called on Rochat this afternoon to discuss the situation in Syria and before we could bring up the High Commissioner’s statement reported in Beirut’s triple priority telegram to London this morning he stated that steps have now been taken to open direct conversations for an armistice in Syria. He reiterated that at the time of our conversation yesterday he had no information that such a move was even in the air. We told him of our receipt of Beirut’s telegram following which he went on to request that the Embassy emphasize two points in reporting to the Department and to Beirut. The first point he said to which the French attach the greatest importance is continued recognition of French political rights in Syria and the Lebanon. He stressed, with reference to British indications of future independence for Syria, that an armistice for the cessation of hostilities is not the logical place for discussion of such political questions as change of sovereignty. The second point which he said is one of great importance from the point of view of the sensibilities of this Government is that the negotiations should be carried on directly with the British high command and not with any representatives of the De Gaulle forces. Should General Catroux or one of his subordinates be appointed to discuss terms for the cessation of hostilities he feels that such a move might seriously complicate the progress of negotiations or even result in their being broken off.
He said that he is not familiar with the military terms to be discussed; that it is felt much wiser to leave them almost entirely to General Dentz and that the latter had been given “very broad powers” — subject only to the above-mentioned limitation with respect to French political rights in the Levant.
We merely informed Rochat that we would convey the foregoing to our Government.
Repeated to London, Beirut, and Algiers.
LEAHY