740.0011 European War 1939/20710
The Under Secretary of State (Welles) to the Ambassador in France (Leahy)
My Dear Mr. Ambassador: I have received your letter of March 4, 1942, and am grateful for the useful background of information which it contains.
I am fully in accord with your ideas concerning the importance of the question of determining whether, from the long point of view, it is to our advantage to continue to support the Marshal or openly to take sides with the dissident French elements. As you are aware, we have followed the policy of giving aid and support to the Free French movement in territories which it administers and of endeavoring to hold Vichy to its promises not to give away the French Fleet or make French territory available as bases for military operations. The time may come at an early date when these two are no longer compatible. Until such time, however, we have felt that by not abandoning Metropolitan France completely we would still be able to keep in touch and strengthen those elements which are locally resisting the extension of German influence. It is not our intention, however, in any agreements entered into with the Vichy Government [Page 156] to do more than recognize the continued existence of the French people as a nation and their sovereignty over various possessions of the French Empire regardless of through what French authority this sovereignty is exercised.
I should welcome receiving any further observations you may care to make regarding the future development of this policy.
With kindest regards,
Very sincerely yours,