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.94 At 4 p.m. today, I had an interview with Marshal Pétain 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.
The Admiral then abruptly changed the subject: “We have just learned,” he said, “that Japanese are going to occupy bases in Indochina [Page 214] in the immediate future,—within the next week. There has been no Japanese ultimatum; they speak courteously of jointly occupying Indochina with us for common defense but it amounts to a move by force. They pretend that their mobilization is for a move to the north but I think it is for a move to the south and toward Singapore. We will make a symbolic defense, but we do not have the means to put up a fight such as we did in Syria. I have been warned not to let you know in order to avoid any possible preventive move on your part. You may tell your Government but caution them to keep my name strictly confidential. If it becomes known the consequences for us will be most serious.”
Just as I was leaving, the Marshal who looked quite worried remarked to me in private: [“]We are on the eve of events of the greatest import.” I asked if he referred to the Far East and he would only reply: “There and everywhere else.”
I received a definite impression that some important change in Franco-German relations is imminent.
Repeated to Casablanca.