740.0011 European War 1939/27641: Telegram
The Consul General at Algiers (Wiley) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 2—7:51 a.m.]
124. For Atherton from Murphy. A few minutes before his departure from Anfa66 the President had a short conversation with General Giraud during the course of which Giraud presented two memoranda dated January 24, 1943. The first memorandum reads as follows:
“1. The intervention of the Anglo-American troops on the 8th of November on French territory in Africa,67 brought about at the demand of the French who, since 1940 have wanted to take up the fight against Germany, was the first act of liberation of an oppressed nation accomplished by the United Nations.
“2. The form of the relations between France and the Foreign Powers temporarily occupying part of French territory, the post war consequences of the association of France and the United States in the fight against Germany, the military, economic and financial aid given to France, have all been defined in letters exchanged between the Consul [adviser], Mr. Murphy, in the name of President Roosevelt, and General Giraud, before the landing. They remain in force. However, the paragraph dealing with the military question and with the Inter Allied command is excepted.
“3. Because of the fact that the French nation and the French people are the only ones who may fix their representation and designate their government, and because it is impossible for the French in other lands [motherland?] to pronounce freely her will, France no longer possesses a government.
“In the interests of the French people, in order to safeguard France’s past, her present, and her future, the Government of the United States and the Government of Great Britain recognize in the Commander-in-Chief, with his headquarters in Algiers, the right and duty of preserving all French interests under the military, economic, financial, and moral plan. They bind themselves to aid him by all the means in their power until the day when, in complete freedom, the French people and the French nation shall be able to designate their regular government.
“General Eisenhower and Minister Murphy will work out with the French Commander-in-Chief, with his headquarters as Algiers, the details of the present understanding. In so doing, they will be governed by the conversations exchanged in Washington between the 28th of December and the 2d [11th] of January,68 by the representative of General Giraud and the State Department, and the decisions which [Page 45] have been made by President Roosevelt, Mr. Churchill, and General Giraud in the interviews at Casablanca between the 17th and 24th of January 1943.”69
The foregoing was endorsed “approved” by the President.
It is my understanding of the second paragraph of article III from the conversations between the President and General Giraud that this phraseology relates to French interests in French Africa together with such interests outside of that area as have rallied or may adhere in the future to General’s authority.
The second memorandum is entitled “Résumé of the Agreements in Principle Resulting From the Conversations at Anfa.[”]
First paragraph reads as follows:
“Under the military plan, it has been agreed between the President of the United States and General Giraud that the French forces will receive, by priority, the equipment which is indispensable to them and that this shall be made up of the most modern matériel.”
The President made a marginal notation okaying the foregoing paragraph. The second paragraph relates to conversations with General Marshall and General Somervell70 regarding the delivery of military matériel. I shall not quote this paragraph for reasons of military security.
The third paragraph reads as follows:
“In regard to transport, it has been agreed with General Somervell that there [the?] supplying of French Africa would be assured by the monthly allocation of 65,000 tons (50,000 tons of wheat, 12,000 tons of sugar, and 3,000 tons of material) and that the shipment of this material would be made before next summer. France would furnish to the inter-Allied pool as share of 165,000 tons of shipping and the Allies would furnish the remainder necessary for the delivery to be completed within the agreed time. The aviation material would be sent, as far as possible, by air.”
The President made a marginal notation regarding paragraphs 2 and 3 as follows:
“Okay in principle. Work out with Eisenhower and Somervell.”
Paragraph 4 reads as follows:
“Under the political plan, it was agreed between the President of the United States, the Prime Minister of Great Britain and General Giraud that it was to their common interest for all the French fighting against Germany to be reunited under one authority, and that every facility would be given to General Giraud in order to bring about this union.”
The paragraph was okayed by the President.
Paragraph 5 reads as follows:
“In connection with this, it has been agreed by the President of the United States that the exchange would be brought to 50 francs to the dollar in order to ameliorate the existing differences with the exchange rate given to the territories placed under the control of General de Gaulle (it being the strong hope that, in the latter territories, the rate will be lowered from 43 to 50 francs to the dollar).”
The parenthetical reference is language inserted by the President. He made a marginal note to this paragraph “okay as amended”.
Paragraph 6 reads as follows:
“It has also been agreed that the necessary propaganda (for France in the French language) should be carried on from the African territory by the French authorities and that, for this reason, conferences should be held regarding the use of the short wave radio stations.”
The President made a marginal notation to this paragraph “amend”. In the conversation he agreed that in principle propaganda by radio from French North Africa in the French language for metropolitan France should be directed by the French authorities in consultation with Allied authorities. Allied authorities would conduct propaganda activity destined for other European countries. It was understood between the President and General Giraud that this entire subject is one for conversations between the French and Allied authorities looking to the most advantageous use of French North African radio facilities in the prosecution of the war.
These two memoranda were not discussed in advance with the British as there was no opportunity to do so, but I have provided copies of them to Macmillan.72 General Eisenhower of course is fully informed.
Giraud acted extremely well throughout the conference, making a favorable impression on both the President and the Prime Minister. I believe every one noted Giraud’s obvious simplicity and sincerity of purpose to prosecute the war against the Axis—a consideration with him which overrides everything.
This telegram is addressed to you as I believe that the Secretary would wish to limit distribution.
Repeated to Matthews for his information only. [Murphy.]
- Suburb of Casablanca where the Casablanca Conference was held January 14–24, 1943. Documentation on the Casablanca Conference is scheduled for publication in a subsequent volume of Foreign Relations. ↩
- For correspondence concerning the invasion, see Foreign Relations, 1942, vol. ii, pp. 429 ff.↩
- See the following memoranda by the Assistant Chief of the Division of European Affairs: December 28, 1942, ibid., p. 493; January 9 and January 11, 1943, ante, pp. 36 and 38, respectively.↩
- For text of communiqué regarding the Casablanca Conference cabled from Casablanca on January 26, 1943, see Department of State Bulletin, January 30, 1943, p. 93.↩
- Lt. Gen. Brehon B. Somervell, U.S. Army, Commanding General of the Services of Supply.↩
- Harold Macmillan, British Minister Resident at Allied Headquarters in North Africa.↩