740.0011 European War 1939/20994: Telegram
The Consul General at Algiers (Cole) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 15—12:48 a.m.]
236. From Murphy. During his stay in North Africa I have had several conversations with Alain Darlan, the son of Admiral Darlan, who seems to enjoy his father’s confidence. Saturday evening I dined with him and Admiral Fénard. They devoted themselves to the following propositions: Marshal Pétain and Admiral Darlan are convinced of an American victory. They want to be on our side and believe that we stand for the restoration of the French Empire. They hate the Germans and loathe the Italians. They are unable to do more now than attempt to keep the French nation together and enable the population to subsist. The French Fleet will never fall into Axis hands and obviously the French naval personnel would never fight with or for the Axis. Marshal Pétain and Admiral Darlan are determined to keep North Africa free of Axis domination. We, they reiterated, should be comprehensive and not too hard when concessions to the Axis are made as long as the more important objectives are attained.
I told the contacts that we may have felt on occasion that the French Government which professes friendship had lacked in frankness. I suggested that when minor concessions are exacted our Ambassador should be taken into confidence before the fact and not obliged to depend on outside sources for information. Darlan replied that his father knows we feel that way but that Admiral Darlan had no faith in our ability to keep a secret. He said, for example, that when Admiral Darlan talked with a German representative the latter clicked his heels after the conversations and departed. The French could be sure that nothing would leak out of Berlin subsequently. Washington, however, is different he said [Page 284] and the press and radio seem to be informed of everything. Admiral Darlan understands he asserted that under the parliamentary system secrecy is almost impossible. He suggested, however, that if some system could be devised whereby only the President, a few top State Department officials and Admiral Leahy would be informed of confidential matters of importance he was certain that the Marshal and his father would be much more inclined to take us into their confidence.
They urged a friendly gesture on our part respecting Saint Pierre et Miquelon10 and also suggested that we propose an amicable adjustment of the French Somaliland predicament by the establishment of a temporary neutral commission at Djibouti to enable the population to survive.
The eagerness and apparent friendly sincerity with which young Darlan and Fénard spoke and their unconcealed desire to see France cooperate with the United States are very encouraging.
Repeated to Vichy. [Murphy.]