On July 16, 1949, the Syrian government instructed its delegation to accept the compromise terms, according to the next day’s American report. Washington also issued broader Lausanne instructions, and the White House announced Paul Porter’s appointment. These developments prepared further diplomacy rather than completing a peace settlement.123

What had the Syrian delegation been instructed to do?

Keeley’s July 17 telegram says Prime Minister Barazi had instructed the delegation yesterday to accept without further discussion. The continuing study distinguishes the reported July 16 instruction from Keeley’s July 15 conversation, July 17 dispatch, anticipated July 18 initialing and actual July 20 signature. Acceptance instructions are consequential, but they do not prove the predicted initialing took place.4

What did Washington ask of the Lausanne participants?

The 1 a.m. circular called for authority to discuss ירושלים YERUŜALAYIM, territory and refugees concurrently. It says the Republic of Turkey had agreed to corresponding approaches and awaited the other commission member government’s answer. This dates American instructions, not acceptance by every recipient government or a completed negotiation.5

Had Porter already begun work in Lausanne?

No. The undated State Department statement expressly assigns his White House appointment to July 16; FRUS also cross-references that day’s notification telegram. The resumption study shows Rockwell acting provisionally on July 18 while Porter was still traveling. Appointment, notification and participation cannot share a date solely because one announcement discusses them.6

The statement’s later July 25 bulletin publication is another date, not the appointment itself.

How is this dated?

The acceptance instruction is reconstructed as July 16 from yesterday in Keeley’s dated July 17 report. The circular is expressly July 16 at 1 a.m., Washington time. Porter’s appointment is explicitly July 16 in an otherwise undated statement later printed July 25. Local instruction and announcement hours are unheld. The provisional daytime route is י״ט בתמוז ה׳תש״ט 19th 𝑜𝑓 Tamuz, AM 5709; an occurrence after local sunset would fall on כ׳ בתמוז ה׳תש״ט 20th 𝑜𝑓 Tamuz, AM 5709. The civil-day recap preserves that distinction.789

Guided reflections

  • How should a prediction of initialing be separated from a verified signature?
  • What document dates an appointment when the statement carrying it is undated?

Footnotes

  1. FRUS 1949, vol. VI, document 837, Yesterday instruction reported July 17. ↩
  2. FRUS 1949, vol. VI, document 834, July 16 circular. ↩
  3. FRUS 1949, vol. VI, document 833, Appointment July 16. ↩
  4. FRUS 1949, vol. VI, document 837, Conversation sequence and yesterday. ↩
  5. FRUS 1949, vol. VI, document 834, Circular heading and final paragraph. ↩
  6. FRUS 1949, vol. VI, document 833, Statement and editorial notes. ↩
  7. FRUS 1949, vol. VI, document 837, Heading and relative date. ↩
  8. FRUS 1949, vol. VI, document 834, Dispatch clock. ↩
  9. FRUS 1949, vol. VI, document 833, Appointment and publication note. ↩

Works cited

  1. United States Department of State. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1949. Vol. VI. Document 837. Office of the Historian. Hosted diplomatic text and editorial notes; occurrence, transmission and later publication dates distinguished. https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1949v06/d837. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  2. United States Department of State. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1949. Vol. VI. Document 834. Office of the Historian. Hosted diplomatic text and editorial notes; occurrence, transmission and later publication dates distinguished. https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1949v06/d834. Accessed October 11, 2026.
  3. United States Department of State. Foreign Relations of the United States, 1949. Vol. VI. Document 833. Office of the Historian. Hosted diplomatic text and editorial notes; occurrence, transmission and later publication dates distinguished. https://history.state.gov/historicaldocuments/frus1949v06/d833. Accessed October 11, 2026.