Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1943, Europe, Volume II

851.01/2008: Telegram

The Consul General at Algiers (Wiley) to the Secretary of State

Algiers, April 3, 1943—6 p.m.
[Received April 4—3:55 a.m.]

549. From Murphy. My 542, April 2, 4 p.m.²⁴ Macmillan and I have received from General Giraud copies of a memorandum²⁵ dealing with the bases for French unity, which has been discussed with Catroux and which the latter is prepared to take immediately to London as establishing the general lines of an agreement between the High Command and the French National Committee. Both Giraud and Catroux feel that the memorandum takes into account insofar as possible the views of both the High Command and the French National Committee and provides a real solution which they hope will be accepted. The question of personalities and individual leadership is left for further discussion.

Macmillan and I agree that its acceptance would mark real progress in the direction of unity and recommend that the British and American Governments give it their full support insofar as it is consistent with the policies agreed between Washington and London. Macmillan is sending a similar telegram to London.

(Section 2)

Memorandum is too long to be telegraphed in full but may be summarized as follows:

1. Union can only be achieved if unity is reached on well defined principles and a program of action putting these principles into execution. It is essential that unification of all the fighting and resisting forces inside as well as outside France should be achieved, and this implies unity on the basis of a single legislative structure, and direction by a single organization.

2. Principles of agreement. The basic principles of agreement have been defined by General Giraud in his speech of March 14²⁶ and in the French National Committee’s memorandum of February 27,²⁷ namely, that the armistice is repudiated, and that the free expression of the sovereignty of French people has been suspended by German occupation and can only be resumed when France is freed. Consequently, legislation subsequent to June 22, 1940, has no legal force. In order to meet a situation of fact, rules derived from such legislation will, however, have to be adjusted in conformity with French tradition. All oaths of allegiance and engagements, either private or public, to individuals are barred and any previous undertakings of this nature are annulled. The restoration of traditional French law means a return to the respect for the law which is the true expression of the French people and will involve restoration of French liberties so that the French people can themselves determine their own destiny. The process by which the will of France shall be expressed is laid down by the legislation in force before the armistice.

A “French Council of Overseas Territories” will be set up and will be composed of the individuals responsible for the administration of the various territories as well as those responsible for the various Departments in the Central Administration. A limited Executive Committee will be responsible for the direction of affairs.

3. Program of action (1) all overseas territories and metropolitan territories, as and when they are liberated, will be placed under the authority of the Council. This will include Martinique and involve the adherence of Indochina when liberated.

(Section 3)

2. The Council will exercise national sovereignty over these territories until such time as it can deliver its powers to a provisional government.

3. In North Africa this will in particular involve a revision of the position of the Allied authorities established by the Clark-Darlan agreement. The Council will grant the Allied authorities certain facilities and will delegate to them certain rights and powers necessary to the conduct of the war. The administrative autonomy of the different overseas territories will be maintained under the centralized control and coordination of the Council.

4. The Council will enter into any necessary agreements with the Allied Powers or other states as regards all French territories, and in particular negotiate a Lend-Lease agreement with the United States. The Council should be accorded recognition by the Allies as administrator and trustee of all French interests abroad, and should be treated as an Allied Power formally accepted as one of the United Nations. The Council will establish and maintain relations with foreign governments through the appointment of representatives. It will centralize financial questions and control.

5. The establishment and equipment of a single French Army shall be undertaken as quickly as possible. The necessary arrangements will be made for the French Command to participate in the Allied General Staff so that the French Command as well as the French Army will form an integral part of the Allied Armies. Furthermore, a French Army must effectively participate in Allied operations for the liberation of Europe.

6. It is then anticipated that France will take its place at the peace table alongside Great Britain, the United States, Russia and China with an equal status and become a member of the Supreme Council of the United Nations which will establish the peace and determine the postwar settlement. In re-entering the struggle France secures the right to participate in the victory and, in full possession of the overseas territories which it possessed at the time of the armistice, to take its place in the discussions looking toward a free peace.

(Section 4)

7. The Council, in collaboration with the Allies, will make preparations for aid and relief to the people of liberated France.

8. Through the maintenance of continuous contact with occupied France the Council will aid and coordinate resistance efforts in France and will not allow the organization of resistance to become involved in politics. It will inform the French people of the program of action for the purpose of reestablishing confidence in themselves, faith in victory, pride in the Army, and will make it clear to them that they alone will determine the construction of the constitution of their provisional government in accord with the laws of the Republic. The Council will also make it clear that the Council and the Army are the servants of the French people and eventually of the provisional government. The Council will unify and control French propaganda and French information services, coordinating them with the United Nations’ services.

9. Provision is made for the establishment in France, when the Allied Armies shall enter French territory, of successive stages providing first that the French military Commander shall be responsible for preserving order; that as soon as possible the Executive Committee of the Overseas Council will move to France, will reestablish the legislation of the Republic and will revive the Conseils Généraux to assist it in administering French territory until such a time as the law of February 15, 1872 (Loi Tréveneuc)²⁸ permits the convocation of an Assembly of Delegates from the Conseils Généraux. This Assembly will, according to the law, then provide for a provisional government and arrange general elections for a date on which they can take place under conditions of peace. The National Assembly will then provide for a constitution. In the meanwhile, the provisional government thus created will act as the legitimate Government of France, to which the Council will then surrender its powers.

Repeated to London. [Murphy.]

Wiley

24. Not printed.
25. Dated April 1; for text in translation, see Documents on American Foreign Relations, vol. v, p. 574.
26. For translation of speech, see Documents on American Foreign Relations, vol. v, p. 560.
27. Memorandum adopted by the French National Committee on February 23 and sent to General Giraud on February 27; for text, see ibid, p. 571.
28. Duvergier, Lois, Décrets, etc., vol. 72, p. 83.