851.248/409
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Chief of the Division of European Affairs (Atherton)
When Mr. Dumaine78 called this morning I referred to an inquiry made of him in the course of a telephone conversation yesterday as to whether the Vichy Government had been informed of Ambassador Haye’s conversation with Secretary Hull, more especially that part dealing with the airplanes in Martinique. I mentioned to Mr. Dumaine that I was glad to see him this morning again, and to remind him in this connection that in his conversation with the French Ambassador Mr. Hull had assured Mr. Haye that these planes would not be reexported to Europe, and also that when Mr. Haye raised the question of blocked credits, the Secretary had also pointed out that these planes, if repurchased by the United States firms concerned, did represent a possible credit of some four or five million dollars in the United States.
I indicated to Mr. Dumaine that not only did the United States authorities have a natural interest in these planes, in view of the fact that priority had been waived in delivering them to France, but also in view of the fact that they were now stored on the beach at Martinique [Page 521] and that deterioration would be rapid. Mr. Dumaine said that of course the position of the Vichy Government in this matter was difficult, since under the terms of the German Armistice these planes must remain where they were. I said that while that might be true, certainly at the moment of the Armistice they could have been returned to the United States, and furthermore, the Armistice did not call for the leaving of these planes on the beach at Martinique without any storage facilities.
Mr. Dumaine asked me if I felt that the shipping of these planes to Indochina for possible use there would be countenanced by this Government, although, he said, it was almost idle to ask, since naturally the planes would have to be shipped and convoyed by a French man-of-war. I replied that it seemed to me to be a late moment to ask this question, since it was only academic, but I did feel that the Secretary’s assurance to the French Ambassador that the planes would not be reexported, once returned to this country, might have weight with his Government. Mr. Dumaine said that the Ambassador had not reported that fact to him and he would do his best to see that it was brought to the attention of the Pétain Government.
He again repeated that Vichy’s hands were tied because of the terms of the Armistice and he did not feel that the Germans would be willing that these planes be returned to the United States.
This conversation was at the Secretary’s instigation.
- Jacques Dumaine, First Secretary of the French Embassy.↩