851R.01/90
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
The British Ambassador called at his request and said that sometime ago Mr. Eden8 had sent Mr. Winant a communication with regard to the civil administration of reoccupied territories and that Mr. Eden would appreciate an indication of our views. I stated that I would be glad to confer with the European Division and let him know what progress is being made on our reply to the British note.
With reference to the request of the British Government for the appointment of a British official to act jointly with Murphy in North Africa under the direction of General Eisenhower I said that this would be agreeable if a similar appointment of an American on the British civilian staff in Libya and the area to the east being occupied by the British would be acceptable to the British Government. The Ambassador thought that this arrangement would be entirely agreeable and said that he would present it to his Government at once.
I referred to the question of a line between British and American jurisdiction in northwest Africa and said that this Government would agree with the British Government for that line to be the boundary between Tunisia and Libya so far as temporary provisional military government is concerned, and that any future phases could be taken up at the proper stages.
- Anthony Eden, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.↩