851.01B11/134½
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Adviser on Political Relations (Murray)
Mr. Paul Guérin, Special Economic Representative of the North African Authorities, came to see me this afternoon at his request to discuss his situation in the light of the recent political developments at Vichy.
M. Guérin informed me that certain of the younger members of the French Embassy staff, who are greatly shocked and discouraged over the resumption of power by Laval at Vichy, held a conference among themselves last night to discuss their future. As a result of this meeting the following have tendered their resignations to the Ambassador:
- Mr. Léon Marchal, Counselor of Embassy
- Baron James Baeyens, First Secretary of Embassy
- Mr. Charles Lucet, Second Secretary of Embassy
- Mr. Etienne Burin des Roziers, Second Secretary
since they are unwilling to function under the instructions of Laval, who has assumed the portfolio of Foreign Minister.
What M. Guérin wanted particularly to discuss was his own peculiar and separate status as Special Economic Representative of the North African Authorities. It will be recalled that he is in this country on a special mission and that he was actually here before the inauguration of the North African economic program to make certain modest purchases of coal for the Moroccan Railways, of which his father is Director. After the Murphy–Weygand Agreement29 went into effect we intimated to General Weygand that it would be quite agreeable to us if M. Guérin were selected to conduct the negotiations incidental to the operation of the economic program. We had already become well acquainted with M. Guérin and all in the Department who knew him had, we believe, respect for his patriotism and integrity. While M. Guérin has necessarily had to communicate with his Government through the Embassy in Washington, he has nevertheless maintained a separate and independent status in many respects.
In view of the above circumstances and because of his great reluctance to see all American connection with North Africa severed, M. Guérin has not yet decided to sever his connection with the North African Authorities, and is anxious to know how the Department would view his continuance here particularly in the event of a rupture of relations between this Government and that at Vichy. What, in other words, would his status in that eventuality be and would he be assimilated to the Embassy and obliged to leave the country with the Embassy staff?
I told M. Guérin that I would take note of the information he had conveyed to me and the questions raised with regard to himself and that due consideration would be given to his inquiry.
In reply to my inquiry of M. Guérin as to whether he believed the Laval Government would recall M. Henry-Haye30 for consultation in view of the imminent departure of Admiral Leahy, M. Guérin said that while he had no knowledge of the intentions of M. Laval he would nevertheless venture the guess that M. Laval had no intention of withdrawing Henry-Haye from Washington. On the contrary, he felt sure that within a few days M. Laval would make a statement regarding the future of Franco-American relations that would in all likelihood be ingratiating and even complimentary to the United States. He would probably take the line that France had no quarrel with the United States and therefore saw no reason why this Government should pick a quarrel with France; that France [Page 292] had found it necessary to restore friendly relations with Germany and to collaborate with her in order to safeguard the vital interests of France but that in following such a policy France saw no reason why perfectly normal relations with the United States could not be continued.
With regard to the situation in North Africa itself, M. Guérin takes a different view. He feels certain that the Germans will bring strong pressure upon M. Laval to oust Murphy and the American Vice Consuls unless we give early evidence of our intention to resume the North African economic program. When I suggested that such a drastic attitude with regard to North Africa would appear to be inconsistent with the ingratiating attitude which M. Guérin feels M. Laval will assume with regard to the relations between Vichy and Washington, M. Guérin expressed the view that even though the Germans might eventually wish to force the severance of relations between France and the United States they would be unlikely to try to force the issue pending the outcome of the Russian campaign.