740.0011 European War 1939/369110/14: Telegram
The Deputy Ambassador in France (Biddle) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 17—7 a.m.]
10. For the President and Secretary. I have just returned from seeing Reynaud who received me immediately after the termination of the meeting of the Council of Ministers this afternoon. He was in a state of fatigue and despondency.
Reynaud opened the conversation by saying that the Council of Ministers would reconvene later this evening and that at the meeting this afternoon no final decision had been taken. He then said that the position in which the French people found [themselves?] was becoming more horrible by the hour. “Masses of refugee women, children and old men were dying on the roads of starvation and illness. Those that had cars were unable to use them for on the main refugee routes there was no gasoline. The supplies of food had long since been devoured.” This “heartrending situation” he claimed had so affected many members of his Cabinet that the pressure to “ask for armistice terms” was too strong to be held down. France had pledged her British ally to conclude no separate peace. He was the author of that pledge and could not ask for armistice terms. The “final decision” should be made at the meeting of the Council tonight.
[Page 261]I said that he must now know what this decision would be. In reply he shrugged his shoulders with a gesture of fatigue and said that he had done what he could and the Cabinet would decide.
I said that I assumed of course a French Government would continue the fight from other shores even if metropolitan France was occupied by the German Army. He shrugged again and looked away. I stressed the necessity for the continuance of a free Government and the saving of the French fleet. Reynaud replied for the first time with real vigor that I need not worry about the fleet: it would never fall into German hands.
Prior to my conversation with Reynaud I talked with Demargery,11a chief of his confidential entourage. He said that in all probability Reynaud would tender his resignation when the Council reconvened tonight. As to who would head the new Cabinet he could not say: there was great pressure by certain Cabinet members to have Pétain head the new Cabinet to ask for armistice terms.
From my conversations I feel that Reynaud may resign this evening. While the possibility still exists that the “strong” members of the Cabinet may be able to prevent capitulation and that Reynaud or someone else may form another government determined on continuing the war, such a possibility seems remote.
- Roland de Margerie.↩