740.00112 European War 1939/6531
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Under Secretary of State (Welles)
The French Ambassador called to see me this afternoon at his request.
The Ambassador asked that in order to avoid further difficulties, delays and confusion, the officials of the French Embassy dealing with questions involving the North African trade agreement be permitted to deal solely with officials of the State Department. He said he realized that officials of the B.E.W.,14 the Treasury Department, et cetera would necessarily have to come into the picture, but he urged that when this was necessary such meetings between the officials of his Embassy and these officials be held in the State Department in the presence of State Department officials. In other words, the Ambassador said he was asking that these negotiations be centered in the Department of State. He made the same request with regard to matters affecting supplies for the French West Indies.15
- Board of Economic Warfare.↩
- As a result of this request it was decided that all future communications to and from the French Embassy dealing with supplies for French North Africa should be channeled through the Division of Near Eastern Affairs. In addition, Mr. Thomas K. Finletter, Acting Chief of the Division of Defense Materials, was designated as Chairman of an inter-departmental committee to discuss and iron out all questions arising from the North African Accord. Interested Divisions of the Department of State and other agencies of the Government were represented on this committee. Meetings were held weekly beginning on September 3, 1942. The memoranda regarding these meetings are not printed.↩