851D.001/26: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 7—7:06 a.m.]
2433. We took up immediately with the Foreign Office the Department’s telegram 2142, April 6, 6 p.m., and were informed that a telegram had been received yesterday from the Governor of Trinidad stating that Monsieur Bertaud and his wife were expected there on either the 7th or 12th of this month. The Governor asked what he should do about them and whether he should facilitate their journey to Cayenne. The Foreign Office telegraphed back that no British facilities should be granted the Bertauds to proceed to Guiana unless [Page 275] the local French and United States authorities at Cayenne agreed thereto. Foreign Office added that there was of course no objection to the Governor receiving the Bertauds.
In the light of the foregoing and the possibility that the Bertauds have not yet left Lagos, we have requested the Foreign Office urgently to telegraph British authorities there not to furnish transportation. The Foreign Office states that it will either do that or request the Fighting French authorities to send instructions to Bertaud not to proceed.