740.0011 European War 1939/25876
The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Henderson) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 20—10:15 p.m.]
482. During my conversation with Molotov76 this evening he said that the Soviet Government had been observing with interest developments [Page 449] in Northwest Africa and was gratified at American successes.
He added that the Soviet authorities for a time had been somewhat puzzled at the decision of the American forces in Africa to cooperate with Darlan. The President’s explanation, however, had been helpful in clarifying this situation. He would appreciate it if I would inform my Government that the Soviet Government was deeply interested in French Africa and that it hoped that the American Government would not take any steps in the direction of setting up any kind of a Government in French Africa without first consulting the Soviet Government. I told him that I would be glad to transmit his message.
As I was preparing to leave he said that he hoped that within a few days he would be able to give us some very good news from the Russian front.
- Vyacheslav Mikhailovich Molotov, People’s Commissar for Foreign Affairs of the Soviet Union.↩