740.0011 European War 1939/18663

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Chief of the Division of European Affairs (Atherton)

Participants: Mr. Ray Atherton, Department of State
Mr. Adrian Tixier, Free French Commissioner, Washington
Mr. Samuel Reber, Department of State

Mr. Tixier called on me in the late afternoon of Christmas Eve to present a communication regarding the technical use of Free French airfields at New Caledonia. The communication has been referred to the War Department for an early expression of its views.

Mr. Tixier expressed his interest in the conversations which were going on between the President and the British Prime Minister in regard to which he understood that the Allied and associated Governments would be kept informed. He said further that he hoped that a Free French representative would be invited to participate in any [Page 405] ceremony which might be planned for communication to the Allied Governments of the results of the joint Anglo-American conversations.

I told Mr. Tixier that I anticipated it would be possible to keep the Free French Commission currently informed.

Mr. Tixier then expressed the view, on behalf of General de Gaulle, that in any arrangements pertaining to ultimate control of French territories in the Western Hemisphere the Free French should be entitled to assume their share in the administration of such territories. I explained the position of this Government as regards territories of the French Empire had been that they should be preserved as French territories and that the Empire should remain intact.

R. A.