548.Gl/89a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chairman of the American Delegation to the Bermuda Conference (Dodds)
12. Department has not yet received response to its telegram concerning the use of a location in North Africa as a refugee haven. In view of the intention of the delegates at Bermuda to conclude tomorrow their conference there and further in view of the fact that the Department lacks authority at present to send any instructions which would commit the Government of the United States, I have to suggest that the delegates recommend to their respective Governments that they each take such steps as they may find possible to arrange promptly for places of refuge in such parts of Africa as may be practical, with particular reference to French Morocco, Madagascar, (or French Equatorial Africa) Cyrenaica and Ethiopia.
If such a recommendation is made to the American Government by the Bermuda Conference the American Government will take all practical steps to implement the recommendations of the conference on the understanding that the British Government will do likewise.
Madagascar (or French Equatorial Africa) is desired to be included because of the very delicate de Gaulle–Giraud situation.41 De Gaulle controls Madagascar and French Equatorial Africa. Giraud has political influence in Morocco. To present Giraud with a proposal which would leave the onus of a refusal on him would be unfair unless an opportunity were presented to de Gaulle to provide a haven in territories under his control or to refuse.42
- See vol. ii, pp. 23 ff.↩
- In telegram No. 157, dated April 29, 11 a.m., from the Consul General at Hamilton, the Chairman of the American Delegation indicated that the recommendation regarding Madagascar was agreed to by Law (548.G1/90).↩