740.00112A European War, 1939/14948: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 28—5 a.m.]
4191. 1. Department’s statement of policy in regard to Proclaimed Listing French controlled firms and firms dealing with France, given in telegram 3286, July 16,19 has been very helpful and British have accepted it as basis instructions their missions. Following, in paraphrase of minute of meeting which considered matter, is only major point requiring clarification:
“Meeting noted fact that according to United States instructions persons at present controlled from occupied France must necessarily be listed and these persons were to be offered no opportunity to give undertakings to Ministry of Economic Warfare to sever their connections with occupied France. In opinion of Ministry of Economic Warfare there were possible advantages to be gained from allowing such persons to give undertakings ‘neither to seek nor accept direction from’ their head offices where they were in a position to give such undertakings.”
2. Department is requested kindly to telegraph as soon as possible regarding foregoing and to instruct Embassy also as to whether applications to make remittances for support of relatives in occupied France are granted by Treasury (British permit such remittances).
3. British will interpret “controlled from occupied France” to mean effective rather than nominal control. They have noted many French firms asserting their head offices have been set up in small towns in unoccupied France, whereas businesses are in reality controlled from headquarters in Paris.
4. British do not intend to send the instructions arising from this coordination of policy to their missions in American Republics until they have consulted British Embassy, Washington.