740.0011 European War 1939/13203: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Leahy) to the Secretary of State
[Received 5:45 p.m.]
888. Your telegram No. 565, July 13, 4 p.m. At 4 p.m. today, I had an interview with Marshal Petain at which he had Admiral Darlan present, in spite of my request to see him alone. I delivered orally the substance of your telegram No. 565, July 13, 4 p.m. Admiral Darlan replied: “That so long as the political relations with Germany continued as they are today, permission will not be given to anybody to occupy or use the American [African?] bases.” Darlan added: “That is to say, while our relations are based on the Armistice.” The Marshal himself added: “You may guess what the Admiral means,” and did not enlarge on this statement.
In reply to my specific inquiry, Admiral Darlan stated and restated that he did not say that the Germans had not asked for use of the bases.
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- Portion of telegram omitted here related to Japanese pressure in Indochina for telegram in full, see vol. v, p. 213.↩