Memorandum of Press Conference of Secretary of State Cordell Hull, November 23, 194213
Q. Mr. Secretary, I wondered if you care to tell us anything about the situation in Martinique?
A. I think it was in 1940 when Admiral Greenslade entered into an agreement with the government at Martinique, the French Government, and the High Commissioner, Admiral Robert. The next year a similar arrangement was entered into between him and Admiral Home representing primarily our Government. A further continuance with modifications and additions to that agreement has recently been concluded, Admiral Hoover and Mr. Samuel Reber of [Page 650] this Department being the principal negotiators. The primary purpose, as you know I think, of this agreement is related to American security and the secondary purpose is related to the economic life of the people of those islands. We are not quite in a position yet to give you the details of the agreement but we will be glad to give that matter attention right soon.
Q. Could you tell us, Sir, whether under the new agreement Admiral Robert is acting completely independently of the Laval Government?
A. I think we made clear repeatedly when we entered on these negotiations that we were negotiating with the local government alone.
Q. Sir, hitherto, the Admiral, I believe, has been referring everything to Vichy. Is he now acting independently, do you know?
A. We don’t know following up on that especially during these negotiations because we made clear to him and I guess he made clear to Vichy that we were not having anything to do with Vichy on this matter. We were dealing solely with the local government. That is our part in it and that is about all I can say.
Q. In that connection, Sir, one report we have from London is to the effect that the French West Indies, French Guiana, have joined the United Nations.
A. No, I don’t know in what sense that statement is made. Of course, they are related to us only to the extent of the renewal—to the extent of this agreement that I have spoken of and not presumably in the sense of signing the Declaration of the 28 nations or anything of that kind.
Q. Mr. Secretary, are French Guiana and those other countries covered by the Martinique negotiations?
A. French Guiana? Yes—yes.
Q. That is, all possessions in the Caribbean?
A. Yes, exactly.
Q. Could you tell us, Sir, whether this agreement is now sufficiently satisfactory to render it unnecessary to consider occupying those possessions?
A. It seems to be.
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- Copy from Press Conference file in the News Division.↩