Office of the Historian

811.248/637

The Assistant Secretary of State (Berle) to the Assistant Chief of Staff (Handy)

Washington, June 24, 1942.

My Dear General Handy: I refer to your letter of June 17 addressed to Mr. Atherton13 in regard to the request of the War Department that permission be obtained from the Government of French Equatorial Africa for the improvement and operation of the airport at Pointe Noire for use by the United States Army.

[Page 570]

On June 11 I was informed by Mr. Adrien Tixier14 of the Free French Delegation that an agreement had been reached by the Military Commandant on the ground at Pointe Noire which had placed the Commandant in a state of “technical insurrection” to General de Gaulle. Before considering this matter further I should appreciate receiving from the War Department detailed information with respect to the negotiations which, according to Mr. Tixier, have been carried on with the Military Commandant at Pointe Noire.

Sincerely yours,

Adolf A. Berle, Jr.
  1. Ray Atherton, Acting Chief of the Division of European Affairs; letter of June 17 not printed.↩
  2. Memorandum of conversation not printed.↩