740.0011 Pacific War/2112: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Leahy) to the Secretary of State
[Received 3:51 p.m.]
376. In the course of our conversation with Rochat on March 10 we asked him whether there had been any developments in connection [Page 696] with Madagascar stating that the matter had been receiving considerable attention in the American press.
Rochat said that he could give us his formal assurance that there had been no developments whatsoever and that neither the Japanese nor the Germans had made any suggestions to the French Government with regard to the use of Madagascar as a base.
He said that as of possible interest to us the French Ministry of Colonies had instructed the Governor General of Madagascar78a to conduct an investigation in regard to possible Japanese subversive activity on the island and a report had been received from that official that there were only two Japanese residing there and that there was no espionage activity.
- Armand-Prosper Annet.↩