851R.01/41a
The Secretary of State to the Chief Civil Affairs Officer of the Allied Forces in North Africa (Murphy)
My Dear Mr. Murphy: You have already been informed by telegram of the civilian mission proceeding to join you in North Africa. By direction of the President, the responsibility for dealing with all non-military matters arising as a result of the occupation of foreign territories by American troops has been placed upon me. As the representative of the Department of State, you are directed to supervise and to coordinate these matters as a member of General Eisenhower’s staff, since all civilian requirements are subject, in the first instance, to the military situation. There is enclosed a memorandum99 outlining the arrangements provided both in North Africa and in Washington to deal with these matters.
[Page 474]The various departments and agencies represented on the mission have likewise been informed of these arrangements and of your responsibility for operations in North Africa. A copy of my letter to the Board of Economic Warfare is enclosed.1 Similar letters have been sent to the other agencies.
The members of the mission are specially competent in their respective fields and will exercise functions on behalf of their respective departments and agencies. It is my desire, however, that both you and they should feel they are in North Africa to assist in fulfilling the general aims of this Government in its prosecution of the war and that they may provide general as well as specific assistance to General Eisenhower and yourself.
You are authorized to designate any member of the mission as your alternate or replacement in such duties as you may wish to assign to him directly under your supervision and looking toward the coordination of these matters.
I take this occasion to repeat my sincere appreciation of the unusually valuable contribution you have made.
Sincerely yours,