851T.48/8
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Under Secretary of State (Welles)
The French Ambassador called to see me at his request. At the outset of the conversation I told the Ambassador that I had hoped to be able to give him a favorable reply this afternoon with regard to the suggested economic agreement between North Africa and the United States which would permit the unblocking of funds held here to an extent necessary to provide for the monthly shipment to North Africa of normal quantities of given commodities very greatly needed in North Africa, provided satisfactory guarantees could be given that distribution would be safeguarded, that transmission from North Africa would be prevented and that the bases for such agreement suggested by General Weygand could be satisfactorily carried out. I said to the Ambassador that, unfortunately, a telegram which I had [Page 218] received this morning, reporting that M. Flandin, the French Foreign Minister, had stated that Mr. Murphy’s return to North Africa would be embarrassing and would be resented by the German Government, appeared to block the reaching of any agreement at least for the time being. I said that, of course, the French Government must realize, as did we, that unless the United States had a properly qualified agent in North Africa able to negotiate all of the many details involved, it would be impossible under present conditions to conclude an agreement. I said that as the Ambassador knew, it was our desire to render this assistance and to do it as promptly as possible, but that the obstacle placed in the way of Mr. Murphy’s return rendered an immediate conclusion of the agreement impossible of achievement.
I told the Ambassador that I discussed the problem in general terms with Lord Halifax36 who had demonstrated a very sympathetic disposition with regard thereto insofar as the issuance of navicerts was concerned and that I regretted this unforeseen obstacle now interposed by the French Government.
I told the Ambassador that this Government was sending an instruction to Admiral Leahy37 requesting him to call the attention of Marshal Petain to the fact that the United States was anxious to discuss a commercial agreement between North Africa and the United States but that the inability of Mr. Murphy to return to North Africa placed a material obstacle in the way of the conclusion of any such agreement. I told the Ambassador that we would make every effort to show to Marshal Petain our desire to be helpful and our recognition of the difficult situation with which he was confronted.