740.0011 European War 1939/11600
Memorandum, of Conversation, by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Alling)
| Participants: | M. Marjolin, former official of the French Moroccan Government; |
| Mr. Acheson;68 | |
| Mr. Atherton; | |
| Mr. Murray, Mr. Alling. |
Mr. Acheson received M. Marjolin, who had recently arrived in the United States from French Morocco. M. Marjolin until recently was First Assistant to M. Monick, Secretary General of the French Moroccan Government. M. Marjolin is well known for his pro-Ally sympathies. As a matter of fact he stated in confidence that he was now en route to England to join the movement of General de Gaulle.
M. Marjolin was quite frank in advocating immediate American military intervention in French Africa. He felt that only through such action could French North Africa and French West Africa be kept from coming under the control of the Axis Powers. He was asked what would be the attitude of the French military and naval authorities toward British or American intervention in North Africa. He replied, quite frankly, that any attempt by the British to land in [Page 333] North Africa would be met with all-out resistance by the French naval and military forces. He felt that French naval forces would probably offer almost equal resistance to American military intervention but that the French Army in North Africa would not oppose an American landing as vigorously as it would a British landing. He urged that any military intervention by Britain and the United States should be led by American forces, which, as pointed out above, he felt would not meet as much French resistance as would British forces. M. Marjolin was asked what would be the attitude of the French naval and military authorities toward a German attack and he replied that under existing circumstances the French Navy and Army would offer no resistance.
- Dean Acheson, Assistant Secretary of State.↩