851A.74/4: Telegram
The Minister in Canada (Moffat) to the Secretary of State
[Received 7:52 p.m.]
282. The Canadian Government’s worry about the possible misuse of the Saint Pierre-Miquelon wireless station has been accentuated by recent sinkings far to the westward of any previously reported. In the circumstance they desire to send some civilian wireless specialists from the Department of Transport to Saint Pierre-Miquelon to control all messages sent. If the Administrator97 agrees no problem arises; if he refuses there will be a strong demand here for unilateral Canadian action.
I reminded Robertson98 of his assurances that Canada would take no action in Saint Pierre-Miquelon that would embarrass us in relation to the Act of Habana99 or our Western Hemisphere policy. The Canadian plan with its implications seemed to me to come close to creating the type of situation we had in mind. He said that the British Government and the Free French Government were pressing Canada hard, but under questioning indicated that the British would prefer to have the Free French take over the administration rather than any unilateral action by Canada. This would relegate the problem to one of domestic French politics, would not allow any charge of British imperialism vis-à-vis the French Empire to gain ground nor raise questions under the Monroe Doctrine.
The Canadian Legation is going to approach the Department tomorrow morning but the instructions to McCarthy1 do not carry the background given above. No approach will be made to the Administrator at Saint Pierre-Miquelon for at least 24 hours.
- Gilbert de Bournat.↩
- Norman Robertson, Canadian Under Secretary of State for External Affairs.↩
- Convention on Provisional Administration of European Colonies and Possessions in the Americas, concluded July 30, 1940, Department of State Treaty Series No. 977, or 54 Stat. (pt. 2) 2491.↩
- Leighton McCarthy, Canadian Minister.↩