740.0011 European War 1939/6587: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Johnson) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 10—6:55 p.m.]
3690. Personal for the Secretary and the Under Secretary. I have been furnished a copy of the following message to the President from the Prime Minister which I am informed is being sent tonight to Washington through the Foreign Office:
“Message from the Prime Minister to President Roosevelt.
Immediate.
[Page 485](1) We have been much disturbed by reports of the intention of French Government to bring Jean Bart and Richelieu to Mediterranean for completion. It is difficult to exaggerate the potential danger if this were to happen, and so open the way for these ships to fall under German control. We should feel bound to do our best to prevent it.
(2) We conveyed a warning to French Government through Ambassador Madrid a few days ago on the following lines:
Such a step would greatly increase the temptation to the Germans and Italians to seize the French Fleet. We doubt not the good faith of the French Government, but their physical ability to implement their assurances that they will not let the fleet fall into enemy hands. We particularly wish to avoid any clash between British and French naval forces and therefore hope that if they had thought of moving the ships they will now refrain from doing so.
(3) As we said to French Government, we should not question good faith of assurances, but even if we accept assurances we can feel no security that they will in fact be able to maintain them once the ships are in French ports in the power or reach of the enemy, and I must [apparent omission] that the desire of French Government to bring these ships back, if this turns out to be well-founded, seems to me to give cause for some suspicion.
(4) It would be most helpful if you felt able to give a further warning at Vichy on this matter, for if things went wrong it might well prove of extreme danger for us both.
10th November, 1940.”