Editorial Note
No United States record of this meeting has been found. The information set forth above regarding the meeting is derived from Mackenzie King’s diary as reproduced in Pickersgill, pp. 321–322. The principal subject of discussion was the question of St. Pierre and Miquelon, concerning which Mackenzie King wrote as follows:
“… Both the President and Churchill went over the ground and the situation in Africa and the need to get this incident closed up so as to avoid its developing into a serious question. The President suggested that Canada might appoint a Commission of some kind to look after the supervision of wireless transmission: a representative from Vichy, one from the Free French, and one from Canada: that the Governor might be restored, and the Free French forces withdrawn. Churchill said there must be some compromise settlement and inclined to agree with the President. Churchill admitted that, at one stage, he agreed to de Gaulle taking action but had later taken an opposite stand, as the United States did not wish it. He said he was prepared to take de Gaulle by the back of the neck and tell him he had gone too far and bring him to his senses. He had on more than one occasion behaved in a troublesome way.
“I said to the President it would not do to have the Governor brought back, as he was pro-Axis, and his wife a German. Also, that I thought Mr. Hull had a better idea, which was to let de Gaulle feel that, while he had been precipitate, he had cleared up a certain situation thereby making it possible to have the whole supervision of radio messages properly arranged for.… Mr. Hull said he thought he and I were 98 per cent agreed on what should be done. Mr. Roosevelt said he thought it would be best for Mr. Hull and me to work out a suggested arrangement and then it could be considered tomorrow.”