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201696128
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Memorandum, State Department Summary of Telegrams
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201696128
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document
title
Memorandum, State Department Summary of Telegrams
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collections
Records of the Naval Aide to the President (Truman Administration)
State Department Briefs Files
subjects
Douglas, Lewis W. (Lewis Williams), 1894-1974
Bevin, Ernest, 1881-1951
Acheson, Dean, 1893-1971
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201696128
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19
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1949-10-19
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10
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1949
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1
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DEPARTMENT OF STATE
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY
WASHINGTON
October 19, 1949
SUMMARY OF TELEGRAMS
ITALIAN COLONIES
British Foreign Minister Bevin has informed
Ambassador Douglas that the UK has decided to
withdraw entirely from all the former Italian colonies in view of
the necessity for making some cut in the UK defense budget. Bevin
expressed complete discouragement over the current UN proposals for
the Italian colonies, expressing the opinion that the proposed
settlement would make any British treaty with Cyrenaica impossible
and that in five years the Soviets would be in the Near East and
the Italian colonies. He added, however, that the British decision
had already been made and nothing more could be done on this.
CHINA
Bevin also expressed his regret to Douglas that
there had not been advance coordination with
Washington on the recent British note to the Chinese Communists,
which he frankly admitted was contrary to the understanding reached
with Secretary Acheson. He gave assurances that in the future there
would be prior consultation, pointing out however that his agreement
was for prior consultation on China matters and not necessarily
prior agreement. Meanwhile our Charge in The Hague has been informed
that the Dutch intend to follow a line toward the Chinese Communists
similar to the position taken by the British, and that they now plan
to have their representative in Peiping orally suggest that contact
be established and maintained between the Netherlands consulates in
China and the new Communist regime.
IRAQ-SYRIA
We have informed the British that after careful
study of the question of union between Iraq and
Syria we have come to the conclusion that the US should neither favor,
acquiese in nor disapprove the proposal because we still lack evidence
of the degree of popular support for this move, we feel no opinion
should be expressed in advance of open and constitutional consideration
of this question, and because we would expect to receive certain
assurances from Iraq and Syria before expressing an opinion. We
continue to oppose any use of force or intervention to change the
status quo in the Near East but would not oppose the union of peoples
in response to their freely expressed will. We have informed our
Missions in London, Paris and the Near East of these views and indi-
cated that they may make this information known to the governments to
which they are accredited.
DECLASSIFIED
E.0. 12065, Sec. 3-402
State Dept. Guideline, June 12, 1979
By NLI-We
NARG, Date, 11-13-to