Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1941, Europe, Volume II

851.48/122a: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Leahy)

Washington, January 6, 1941—8 p.m.

10. As you will recall, this Government has been in consultation with the British Government with regard to the problem of providing relief to the children in the unoccupied regions of France and the following proposal has been agreed upon by both Governments. You should treat the matter as confidential until agreement can be reached between the Governments concerned. The Red Cross has asked, if it is possible to do so confidentially, that its representative, Allen, be informed of the proposal and the conditions imposed.

Subject to the following conditions the American Red Cross is prepared to dispatch a shipment of relief goods to Marseille which will be permitted to pass the British blockade:

(1) These relief goods for France to be confined to medical supplies in the strict sense (excluding cod and halibut liver oils), vitamin concentrates, dried or tinned milk, and children’s clothing.

(2) Distribution to be effected solely by the American Red Cross either direct from their own depots or under strict supervision to children’s hospitals and clinics.

(3) Assurances to be given by the French Government that its press will be permitted to give favorable publicity in periodic accounts of the relief work undertaken, such accounts to indicate that the work was initiated by the American Government for humanitarian ends and will be carried on with the cooperation of the British Government in allowing passage through the blockade.

(4) Further shipments will not be permitted if there should be any evidence that these conditions are not being fulfilled.

Please ascertain whether these conditions are acceptable to the French Government. In so doing you should also indicate that this Government feels that the British Government should be given due credit for the humanitarian attitude it has adopted and that in view of its attitude and action in permitting such shipment anti-British propaganda in both the French press and radio should be stopped.

For your information and such use as you may care to make of it during your discussions with the highest French authorities the following represents a brief outline of this Government’s position regarding the present stage of French-American relations: This Government recognizes the unfortunate situation of France as a captive state whose conduct must necessarily be directed toward the protection of its own self interests as a people and a nation. This Government recognizes to the fullest extent the duty of the French Government to conform to the Armistice terms⁴ along with other functions and requirements of a captive nation; but this Government maintains that in so doing the French Government has no justification to render the slightest military aid to Germany and that the French Government has no right in its acts and utterances to go beyond and outside the explicit provisions of the Armistice Agreement for the purpose of making itself a partisan of Germany as between Germany and non-belligerent countries such as the United States. So long as this Government is satisfied that the French Government is confining its action to the explicit requirements of the Armistice Agreement, there are numerous ways in which this Government might be of aid to France in solving the difficulties which lie ahead of it. Specifically, this Government has already initiated discussions with the British which have resulted in the agreement outlined above to provide milk and medical supplies for children in unoccupied France. There are other ways in which this Government could be helpful at the present time, such as the use of the gold and assets of the French Government for the purpose of providing facilities for the economic development of the French West Indies and the trade, through these possessions, with North Africa and unoccupied France.

To reach a satisfactory solution of most if not all of these problems will require British cooperation. This Government sincerely hopes, therefore, that the French Government will take no action, such as endeavoring to breach the British blockade, particularly in connection with the reported arrangements being made for food shipments from South America, which would prejudice the successful conclusion of the requisite agreements.

Hull

4. For text of the Franco-German Armistice Agreement, signed June 22, 1940, see Documents on German Foreign Policy, 1918–1945, series D, vol. ix, p. 671.