Roosevelt Papers
Draft of Joint Statement1
The President and the Prime Minister have felt that the time has come to announce that Great Britain and the United States accept relations with the French Committee of National Liberation in the continuation of the mutual, war effort against the Axis powers.
This constitutes in no sense recognition of that Committee in speaking for the people in France or for a future Government of France.
It does constitute recognition of the French Committee of National Liberation for the purpose of functioning within specific limitations on behalf of French territory and colonies outside of France.
In view of the paramount importance in of the common war effort, the relationship between our two Governments with and the French Committee continues to be subject to the military requirements of the Allied Commanders.
[Page 1105]The simple purpose is cooperation with all patriotic Frenchmen working to for the liberation of the French people and territories from the oppression of the enemy.
Accordingly we welcome the establishment of the French Committee of on2 National Liberation. It is our understanding that the Committee has been conceived and will function on the principle of collective responsibility of all its members to the prosecution of the war.
Obviously, it will be for the French people themselves to settle their own Constitution and to establish their own Government after they have had untrammeled opportunity to express themselves with the utmost freedom.
In an earnest effort to promote our great cause, we are agreeing to the recognition of the Committee in the hope that it will achieve further unity within itself and continued cooperation with the United nations.
May the restoration of France come with all speed.
- There is printed here a composite text of two closely related drafts found in the Roosevelt Papers. Canceled type represents words which appear in the earlier draft but not in the later draft, while italics represent additions in the later draft. Neither draft is dated, and neither bears any indication of authorship.↩
- This change in the later draft was probably a typographical error.↩