851.48/478: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 16—5:28 p.m.]
4316. Personal for the President. Department’s 3289, August 21, 6 p.m. Your message to Lord Halifax was sent to him on August 22 and I received today the following letter from Mr. Eden in reply:
“Lord Halifax, before he went to the country, gave me the message from President Roosevelt about milk for children in unoccupied France, which you sent to him in your letter of the 22d August. This proposal raises great difficulties for us. We are under heavy pressure from some of Allied governments to allow relief to their peoples in occupied territory, whose lot is far harder than that of the population of unoccupied France. These governments are continuing to support the Allied cause to the utmost of their ability, while the Vichy Government is collaborating in an increasing degree with our enemy, and the grant of relief to unoccupied France will not commend itself favorably to our public opinion.
We did, it will be remembered, authorize two shiploads of milk for unoccupied France earlier in the year. We are unable to judge what effect these shipments may have had upon French morale, but so far as we are aware, the generosity of the American Red Cross did not receive in France the publicity which it deserved.
Nevertheless, in view of the President’s request, we have again taken the question into consideration and we shall be willing, as an [Page 191] exceptional measure, to agree to admission through the blockade of a very occasional shipment of milk for children in unoccupied France, to be distributed under the supervision of the American Red Cross. In coming to this decision, we have not overlooked the fact that supplies of the milk from the United States, even for ourselves, are likely to fall short of requirements.
I should be grateful if you would convey a reply in this sense to the President.”