851.01/2592: Telegram
The Consul General at Algiers (Wiley) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 1—2:35 p.m.]
1352. From Murphy. My 1345, July 30, 7 p.m.3 Agreement was reached by the Committee of National Liberation on the subject of the High Command and two decrees have been approved and published. The first of these amends the first article of the decree of June 3, 1943 (see annex to my A–36, June 113) by providing that General Giraud will direct the discussions and be responsible for the execution of the Committee’s decisions on matters relating to national defense and that General de Gaulle will exercise these functions as regards other activities and the general policy of the Committee.
The second decree provides that the Committee of National Liberation is responsible for the prosecution of the war and controls the land, sea and air forces. General Giraud is given command of all French forces. For any period when he is in operational command he will not exercise his duties as President of the Committee.
As Commander-in-Chief and within the framework of directives from the Committee of National Liberation and the Committee of [Page 180] National Defense (see below) Giraud is charged with the organization, administration and maintenance of the forces and of the allocation of the French forces to the various theaters of operation. He will participate with the Inter-Allied High Command in the establishment of plans of operation. He will direct and control the formation and instruction of units with a view to their utilization as provided either by Inter-Allied plans operation or by defense and security requirements. He will allocate armaments.
An Assistant Commissioner of National Defense is appointed to assist General Giraud on organizational and administrative matters but he will only have a consultative voice in the discussions of the Committee of National Liberation.
A Committee of National Defense is created to prepare general provisions relating to the allocation of French forces in the different theaters of operation and to plan measures necessary to insure fusion of the forces. It will discuss general plans of organization and armament. The committee will include [de Gaulle as President, Gir]aud, the Assistant Commissioner of National Defense, and the Chiefs of Staff of the Land, Sea, and Air Forces. General Le Gentilhomme, at present Governor of Madagascar, has been appointed Assistant Commissioner of National Defense; General Leyer as Chief of Staff of the Land Forces; with General Koenig as his Deputy Chief of Staff; Rear Admiral Lemmonier as Chief of Staff of the Navy; with Auboyneau as Deputy; and Bouscat as Chief of Staff of the Air Force.
Massigli in informing me of the Committee’s decision adopting the foregoing text claims that this is a happy solution from every point of view. He states that Giraud is satisfied, that de Gaulle wanted more than he is getting and that the majority of the Committee believe that the formula adopted is a practical and satisfactory solution. Massigli declares that the immediate fusion of French forces under the unified command will follow and that the ensemble fortifies Giraud’s military position.
The Committee’s further action in adopting the plan under which Giraud will preside at meetings of the French Committee of National Liberation which are devoted to military subjects and de Gaulle at sessions relating to general subjects is a compromise which was adopted after a long argument by de Gaulle that he should become the sole President of the Committee because consistent work could not be done under a Siamese set up.
Massigli as his associate and Secretary of Foreign Affairs followed this exposé with a strong plea that we take prompt action to recognize the French Committee of National Liberation on the ground that we had now every guarantee of the integrity of Giraud’s command, which is fortified by the appointment of his nominees as Chief of Staff, the [Page 181] Committee’s collective control of acts of individuals in the Committee as well as of cooperation of the Allies in the prosecution of the war.
Giraud who was visibly relieved to have finished with the past 5 days of wrangling discussed the foregoing decisions with me late this afternoon. He asks that the President be informed that he considers that his military position has been strengthened and that he is satisfied that his authority over all French forces—land, sea and air is definitely established. The fusion of these forces will be developed in a manner best adopted to the prosecution of the war even if some individual ambitious of certain officers may be disappointed. Giraud is content he says with the provision that during intervals when he may be absent in the field in command of troops that de Gaulle preside the meetings of the Committee regardless of the subject matter. He is also satisfied with the composition of the Committee of National Defense. I asked him particularly about General Le Gentilhomme who becomes Assistant Commissioner of National Defense. Giraud expressed his approval stating that in London recently he had a very satisfactory talk with Le Gentilhomme and finds himself in accord with the latter’s views. Giraud is also very pleased with the selection of the three Chiefs of Staff for Land, Sea and Air. The selection of young Admiral Lemmonier who has cooperated with us so ably at Algiers since last November as Chief of Staff of the Navy is particularly satisfactory. Admiral Collinet who was contemplated originally for this place but who roused general opposition in the Committee by misplaced criticism of several of its members will resume his command at Dakar.
Giraud asked also that the President be informed that in his opinion our Government would be justified now in granting an appropriate form of recognition to the French Committee of National Liberation. Such timing of recognition would signalize our interest in the military factor and mark our approval of Giraud’s confirmation as commander of all French forces. I recommend sympathetic and prompt consideration of Giraud’s suggestion. [Murphy.]