851A.74/12–1641
Memorandum of Telephone Conversation, by the Acting Chief of the Division of European Affairs (Atherton)
Under instructions from Mr. Welles I called Minister Moffat on the telephone this morning and advised him that Mr. Welles had been in consultation with the President on matters which Mr. Moffat had inquired about through Mr. Hickerson last evening. I informed Mr. Moffat that the President did not favor a policy whereby the Free French were permitted to move in on the St. Pierre-Miquelon situation, that in this specific instance this was the issue at stake but that if later the question arose as to the Free French moving in on other French territorial possessions in this hemisphere, that with reference to recent exchanges between Washington and Vichy, in so far as it was foreseeable now the attitude of this Government would undoubtedly be the same.
I added as regards the discussions which the Department of State had recently carried on with the Canadians, the President entirely approved the tenor of our conversations, specifically as regards the radio station of St. Pierre-Miquelon, that the Canadians in the first instance should use persuasion but that failing that force might be used in order that there might be Canadian control of the radio station. In both these instances the radio station was the objective in this the Canadian issue vis-à-vis the St. Pierre-Miquelon situation.
The conversation being over the international telephone was necessarily somewhat guarded, but Mr. Moffat stated that he was very grateful for having such definite and speedy instructions.
In conclusion, he said he thought he understood the Department would not favor his facilitating a visit of Admiral Muselier to Washington. I said that there was no doubt on this point that the Department of State would not be favorable to such a visit by this Admiral.