851.01/955: Telegram
The Chargé in the United Kingdom (Matthews) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 20—7:30 p.m.]
533. Although Strang made no mention to me (my telegram No. 532, January 2060) of de Gaulle’s latest display of temperament, I learn that the General sent for Charles Peake last evening and launched into a bitter denunciation of “the Americans”. He delivered an elaborate description of American plots to hold up all his various messages to Giraud until we had been able to arrange various matters to suit ourselves in North Africa, our duplicity being shown by the period of time which elapsed between the original delivery of his message to our military authorities in London and his replies from Giraud. For instance he said that we held up his first message to Giraud for several days until we had persuaded Bergeret61 to make a number of arrests “which included two of my people”. Peake who has been kept informed by Commander Kittredge62 of all developments in that connection, replied that he didn’t believe a word of it but that if de Gaulle felt that way he should discuss it with some higher authority, specifically Mr. Eden. This de Gaulle declined to do on the ground that he was “too busy”. However following a report of this conversation to the Foreign Office the latter persuaded de Gaulle to talk to Mr. Eden which he is doing this afternoon.
Strang did reiterate this afternoon to me that de Gaulle feels very strongly that he cannot “compromise his moral position” by working with people who collaborated with Vichy and that such action would be a “betrayal of his followers” in France. I remarked that I thought the majority of de Gaulle’s supporters in France were probably far more interested in some military cooperation which would hasten the liberation of their country than in quibbling over the relative degree of patriotism of personalities involved.