At this critical moment In the Mediterranean
compel ;n when the lestlnies of 3yria and I ranoh Borth
Africa are at lUMi !-ls wa\jMw7*t Government akc a
new appeal to the r*ench Oovcrment to Join with them
in repelling tha danger before it is toe la to, and in
seizin" on opportunity wMci. ma, never re our.
The threat to Syria is new Imminent; that to
;orth Africa and  -eat Africa hardly less so* Pressure
upon Spain is increasing and we understand that the
ronoh Government may expect a request for passage of
orman forcea aero so unoccupied .ranee to the Spanish
frontier.
Unless these throats are resisted and these
requests refused, and if .ronoh 'overomsnt allow the
"ercmna or Italians to use these territories for
operations agalnat ourselves, .ranee will have been
forced from capitulation to collaboration end from
collaboration to participation in the war and will
euf:er from loth aides aal gain nothing*   Such particl
tion would constitute a departure from the condition
of paasive capitulation in which   ranco receive-! from
us our guarantee to restore her Independence and
greatness*   it would be impossible for us to maintain
in any respeot the distinction we have hitherto drawn
between unoccupiod and occupied .ranco in the e..ecuti
of our military and economic plans*
If on the other hand the   reneh Government
would effectively resist these encroachments we should
give them the utmost aeelstaoce in our power* It
should be possible to hold Syria against any foreoa
/which
which the Axis could bring a,Tain at it In the near
future*   French and British fleets acting together
in the Eastern Mediterranean could out the Axis
comunications with Africa and siake a descent upon
3;*ria a natter of grave hazard to the uiiawQ and
invaluable bases would be avalJable to us. ,-fench
rosiatonce and renewed   ranco British collaboration
would go far to prevent the dangers w: ich the .ronch
at present rear*
BRITISH BaSASST,
¦ASHinOTQK, D.C.
89th April, 1941