Office of the Historian

851.01/934a: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in the United Kingdom (Matthews)

Washington, December 29, 1942—4 p.m.

6631. Under date of December 27 Frederick Kuh12 reports after a luncheon with Prime Minister Churchill, de Gaulle has drawn up the following 4–fold program to meet the new situation in North Africa:

  • “(1) De Gaulle will remain president of French National Committee, which will assume the administration of all French territory under Allied control.
  • “(2) The committee will transfer its headquarters from London to Algiers.
  • “(3) Giraud will be designated commander in chief of all the French armed forces fighting with the Allies.
  • “(4) General Georges Catroux, Fighting French high commissioner for Syria, will be a candidate for the French high commissionership of North Africa.”

Kuh alleges reliable sources for this story. Can you confirm and also whether the origin is from British or French contacts? Repeat your reply to Murphy.

Hull
  1. Chief of London Bureau of the Chicago Sun.↩