851.33/246
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Acting Chief of the Division of European Affairs (Atherton)
Last evening Mr. Hayter12 of the British Embassy called on me at his request. He showed me in strict confidence a telegram from London which stated that there was a question of the Free French naval forces, which ordinarily were doing naval patrol work in the Atlantic but which were now in Canadian waters, moving in on the Island of St. Pierre-Miquelon and occupying it for the Free French. The idea thereby was to control the radio station without forcing the Canadian Government to take action in what might be an embarrassing political situation. This movement of the Free French was approved by the Prime Minister but the telegram went on to state that no action would be taken unless the consent of the Canadian and American Governments were obtained. I gave Mr. Hayter the Department of State’s background on all this matter and this morning telephoned Mr. Hayter that the question had been discussed here and I was authorized to inform him that the President did not favor a policy whereby the Free French were permitted to move in on the St. Pierre-Miquelon situation. I then added as regards the discussions which the Department of State had recently carried on with the Canadians that 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. I reminded Mr. Hayter that the British Government and ourselves were interested in the maintenance of relations with the Vichy Government and certainly any action by the Free French in moving into French possessions in this continent with the approval of the British and American Governments would be bound to be detrimental. Mr. Hayter said he assumed this might be referred to other French possessions in this hemisphere other than St. Pierre-Miquelon and I replied that certainly in so far as was foreseeable now, particularly at this moment when Marshal Petain13 had given certain memoranda assurances, copies of which have been transmitted to the British Embassy, the attitude of this Government would undoubtedly be the same. I said that he must realize the situation existing as regards Martinique which had been discussed at more than one occasion with the British Embassy and he admitted he understood all the implications of the situation therein.
[Page 549]In conclusion, I very carefully reviewed all the points of our discussion in order that there might be no confusion in his mind.