851.00/2718: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Leahy) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 13—4:01 p.m.]
537. The official referred to in our 1490, December 3, 2 p.m., 1941,57 informs us today that Du Moulin de la Barthète and himself have resigned from the Marshal’s civil Cabinet in response to German pressure for their removal and that General Latzl has also resigned because of local difficulties.
There is an unconfirmed report from a reliable source that Darlan repeated to Benoist-Méchin our statement to the Marshal of America’s attitude toward the appointment of Laval to the Cabinet (your 214, March 27, 4 p.m.); that Benoist-Méchin repeated the statement to Abetz and that this has caused the German authorities to consider that the return of Laval is now a test of strength between Washington and Berlin.
Information available to us today indicates that a return of Laval to the Cabinet under German pressure is highly probable in the near future.
- Not printed; the official is identified only as a career diplomat and member of Marshal Plain’s “entourage” (851.00/2529).↩