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Coll 6/93(2) 'SYRIA: Situation in – after capitulation of France, 1940. Incl. Proclamation of Independence.' [310v] (620/626)
The record is made up of 1 file (311 folios). It was created in 3 Jul 1941-12 Dec 1944. It was written in English and French. The original is part of the British Library: India Office The department of the British Government to which the Government of India reported between 1858 and 1947. The successor to the Court of Directors. Records and Private Papers Documents collected in a private capacity. .
Transcription
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r
The Germans showed great judgement in picking the A
best Iraqi chemists to assist them and they found that
Director T s staff were capable of giving very accurate
distillation curves on oil products, and accurate results
in lubricating oil tests* Nothing appears to have been
taken for granted by the Germans in the way of scientific
data. The German attitude to well-trained and qualified
Iraqi chemists was neither condescending nor familiar;
they behaved, in fact, as one would expect reputable
scientists to behave, and the Iraqis were impressed by
their fine technical skill and fair and accurate assessment
of the ability of Iraqi analysts. The Germans appear
to have been fully aware that the training and qualification
of certain Irhqis educated in Germany had been exaggerated for
propaganda purposes and the mission firmly declined to use
them in a technical capacity, but only as contact men. M*ost
of the Iraqi chemists adopted a passive attitude and
volunteered no information to the Germans, who were thus
left unaware of certain comprehensive reports based on work
done in America and England. The Germans were left to
embark on the extremely slow re-determination of these results.
Note. A report has been received from Iraq that the German
mission revealed their secret process for converting low grade
petrol into high grade aviation spirit to Nadim Pachachi, a late
member of the Iraq Government and oil expert. This man!is now
in Bagdad, but efforts to persuade him to divulge the secret
have not so far been successful.
x
(o) BARI BROADCASTS IN RELATION TO GERMAN INTENTIONS
Irt IRAN .~
( Not to be quoted ).
According to reliable information, Bari Radio has been
broadcasting comments on the Russo-German war under M information
received from Tehran". These broadcasts have further suggested
that Germany T s real objective is Iran.
Comment . In connection with efforts to persuade the Iranian
Government of the necessity to intern or deport from Iran all
Germans, other than the legitimate members of the Legation and
consular staffs, this information might be used to emphasise the
danger of maintaining their present "laisser faire" attitude.
It might be stressed that Germany*s own ally is proclaiming the <
latter*s intention to invade Iran. (See paragraph 12(b) of Sunmary 547)
(d) THE ARMS SHIPMENT AT ASSAB .
Immediately after our capture of Assab on 11th June,
the Shah'made inquiries about the military stores for Iran from the
Italian motor vessel "Arabia" which took shelter at Assab about
the time war with Italy commenced.
It was found that the bulk of the stores were intact
although a few cases had been broken open and the contonta looted.
The cargo had been landed and removed to three dumps in different
parts of the town. It consisted of machinery and military
equipment including anti-tank guns, machine guns, etc.
It is now suggested that the provision on our part of
shipping to convey "Arabia*s" cargo to Iran might be used for
bargaining apropos of our request that the Axis merchant shipping
-25-
About this item
- Content
Following on from an earlier file (IOR/L/PS/12/2166), this file concerns British policy relating to Syria, following the success of the British-Free French military campaign in Syria [Operation Exporter]. (The abbreviation 'Incl.' in the title stands for 'Including').
The date range of this file is 1941-44; however, most of the material dates from 1941.
Notable correspondents include the following: His Majesty's Ambassador in Cairo (Miles Wedderburn Lampson); Minister of State, Cairo (Oliver Lyttelton); His Majesty's Ambassador in Bagdad [Baghdad] (Sir Kinahan Cornwallis); His Majesty's Ambassador in Washington (Edward Frederick Lindley Wood, referred to in the correspondence as Viscount Halifax); the Secretary of State for India (Frederick William Pethick-Lawrence); General Charles de Gaulle; General Georges Catroux; officials of the Foreign Office, the War Office, and the Government of India's External Affairs Department.
The file includes discussion of the following:
- The British Government's relationship with Free France in Syria (particularly with General Charles de Gaulle) and the possibility that the Free French authorities are suspicious of Britain's interest in Syria.
- Concerns expressed by the Government of India (and to a lesser degree, by the War Office) that the Free French authorities intend to take the place of the Vichy administration in Syria and renege on promises of imminent independence.
- Arrangements for the repatriation of Vichy French officers and the return of British prisoners of war.
- The wording of a Free French declaration (a translated draft of which is included) announcing Syria's independence and the formation of a Syrian Government, with Sheikh Taj ed Din el Hassani [Taj al-Din al-Hasani] as President, issued on 27 September 1941.
- Britain's formal recognition of Syrian independence on 28 October 1941.
- Reports of unrest in the Deir es Zor [Deir ez-Zor] region during October 1941.
- The wording of a Free French declaration announcing Lebanon's independence (particularly the wording of paragraph 16, which makes reference to Lebanon as 'an indivisible unit'), issued on 26 November 1941 (a translated draft of the declaration is included).
- Whether the proclamations of Syrian and Lebanese independence constitute the termination of the French Mandate.
- Whether treaty negotiations should be initiated following the declarations of independence, or delayed until the end of the war.
- The appointment of Major General Sir Edward Spears as Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary A diplomatic representative who ranks below an ambassador. The term can be shortened to 'envoy'. to the Governments of Syria and Lebanon.
Also included are copies of daily summaries produced by the Middle East Intelligence Centre (MEIC) in Cairo, covering early July 1941.
There is a small amount of French language material, consisting of extracts from drafts of both of the aforementioned declarations, as well as a copy of the full text of the declaration of Lebanese independence.
The file includes two dividers which give a list of correspondence references contained in the file by year. These are placed at the back of the correspondence (folio 2-3).
- Extent and format
- 1 file (311 folios)
- Arrangement
The papers are arranged in approximate chronological order from the rear to the front of the file.
- Physical characteristics
Foliation: the foliation sequence (used for referencing) commences at the front cover with 1, and terminates at the last folio with 312; these numbers are written in pencil, are circled, and are located in the top right corner of the recto The front of a sheet of paper or leaf, often abbreviated to 'r'. side of each folio. A previous foliation sequence, which is also circled, has been superseded and therefore crossed out.
- Written in
- English and French in Latin script View the complete information for this record
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Coll 6/93(2) 'SYRIA: Situation in – after capitulation of France, 1940. Incl. Proclamation of Independence.' [310v] (620/626), British Library: India Office Records and Private Papers, IOR/L/PS/12/2168, in Qatar Digital Library <https://www.qdl.qa/archive/81055/vdc_100043060294.0x000017> [accessed 19 April 2024]
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- Reference
- IOR/L/PS/12/2168
- Title
- Coll 6/93(2) 'SYRIA: Situation in – after capitulation of France, 1940. Incl. Proclamation of Independence.'
- Pages
- front, front-i, 2r:15v, 17r:56v, 59r:59v, 60v:82v, 84r:91v, 94r:137v, 140r:161v, 162v:184v, 187r:215v, 218r:256r, 257r:312v, back-i, back
- Author
- East India Company, the Board of Control, the India Office, or other British Government Department
- Usage terms
- Open Government Licence