Oral Answers to Questions — Iran. – in the House of Commons at on 1 October 1941.
Sir Geoffrey Mander
, Wolverhampton East
asked the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs why General Catroux, Commander-in-Chief of the Free French Forces in the Middle East, was not one of the signatories to the Armistice terms in Syria?
Mr Anthony Eden
, Warwick and Leamington
The Armistice terms were signed by General Wilson as Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces in Syria. General Catroux took part in the negotiations and was fully in accord with the agreement made.
Sir Geoffrey Mander
, Wolverhampton East
In view of the very great part played by Free French Forces in the conquest of Syria, would it not have been a graceful act to have allowed their General to have signed the Armistice terms?
Mr Anthony Eden
, Warwick and Leamington
I do not think there is anything unusual in this. The Commander-in-Chief signed the Armistice terms.
Secretary of State was originally the title given to the two officials who conducted the Royal Correspondence under Elizabeth I. Now it is the title held by some of the more important Government Ministers, for example the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.
