Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1942, Europe, Volume II

811.111 W.R./833

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Secretary of State (Berle)

[Washington,] February 11, 1942.

M. Tixier came in to see me, at his request. He raised two problems:

(1) He wished to inform us that henceforth the Free French Delegation would issue visas in respect of persons desiring to enter Free French territory, and would charge a fee for so doing. He proposed to send a note to that effect. He did not wish to send it if we were to reject the contention, and asked our view.

I observed that my impression was that in practice the Free French were issuing visas now. The note amounted to a unilateral statement on their part of something which was actually going on.

M. Tixier said that this was true but that what he really hoped was that we would issue instructions to our missions directing them to accept Free French visas. Obviously the Vichy Government could not grant visas to these places, and equally obviously, the need of control over people coming into Free French Africa and New Caledonia was pressing.

I said I noted his observation and that there would be no objection to his giving us notification as suggested. I would consider what, if any, further instructions should be given to our people. M. Tixier said that their most important instructions ought to be given in New York, since whenever the New York officials charged with determining whether an individual could leave the United States ran across a French visa, they promptly telephoned to find out what it was all about. I said we would take this situation up.

(2) M. Tixier said that the problem of issuing Free French passports had now come up. Free Frenchmen could not easily get passports from the Vichy Government, and in many cases did not want them. Free French officials naturally did not ask for such passports. Without some kind of document Free Frenchmen could not move in or across American territory. The United States had ample control through its own visa machinery and he thought we might now accept Free French passports.

I said I would consult with my associates and give him a definite answer. It was not our policy to prevent the movement of Free Frenchmen by either denying them a mechanism by which they could attain an American visa, or forcing them to abide by the determination of the Government at Vichy.³²

A. A. B[erle], Jr.

32. On March 6, 1942, the Department sent instructions to its diplomatic and consular officers to accept “Free French” passports presented by citizens of France who adhered to the cause of General de Gaulle.