740.00119 MPC/61: Telegram
The Consul General at Algiers (Wiley) to the Acting Secretary of State
[Received October 30—4:23 a.m.]
1863. For the President and Acting Secretary from Wilson. Massigli came to see me today (Murphy is in Italy) to say that the French [Page 799] Committee had heard from London that there was a tendency in the Moscow Conference to whittle down the importance of the Political-Military Committee to meet in Algiers, on which the French Committee understood it was to be invited to be represented, and to transfer to a new commission to meet in London all the important questions relating to Germany, the satellite powers, et cetera, and that the French Committee would be excluded from membership thereon. He said that this news had the effect of a bombshell in Algiers. It was discussed yesterday by the French Committee and the greatest concern expressed by all present.
Massigli said that if, in fact, the French Committee is kept out of the important commission, it will have deplorable and far-reaching effects on French opinion not only in Algiers but in France, where it will never be understood why the United States and Great Britain refused to give France a seat at the table where the German problem is under discussion.
Massigli said that this raised a question whether he should not resign. He had stayed on in the Committee urging moderation and declaring that American opinion would evolve more favorably in time towards the French Committee. If France is now frozen out of the important discussions, there would be little point in his staying on. Massigli had previously made somewhat similar observations to the British Chargé d’Affaires.
I said that I had received but little information as to what was under discussion at Moscow concerning the functions of the Political-Military Committee. I asked whether it was the point of view of the French Committee that they should be admitted on the same basis as the Governments of Soviet Russia, Great Britain and the US to whatever body might deal with the important questions. He hesitated, then said that of course the French Committee was not powerful, he did not know just what its status should be on such a commission, but as the only representative authority for France, it clearly should have a definite place.
He said that the French representative at Moscow had been instructed to bring these views to the attention of the delegations there, and he expressed the hope that I would also advise the Secretary.
Repeated to Moscow and London. [Wilson.]