851.01/2008: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Consul General at Algiers (Wiley)
701. For Murphy. Although we fully recognize that the points covered in your 549 of April 3 are only summarized and that the memorandum represents a proposed basis for agreement between [Page 93] Frenchmen, it may be useful for you to have our preliminary comments particularly with respect to those proposals, involving future action or acquiescence on our part, which appear to go beyond the limits of the policy which we have pursued up to now. Moreover, it is probable that we will wish to discuss certain of these points with the British before making our views definitely known to the French. There are also a number of questions on which we would like to have further light.
Section 2, numbered paragraph 1: What is the nature of the proposed single legislative structure:
Numbered paragraph 3: Is there any special significance in the reference to Martinique at this time?
Section 3, numbered paragraph 2: The phrase “exercising national sovereignty” appears out of line with the proposition that no provisional government will be established until after the liberation of France. In our opinion the following wording would be more desirable “The Council will exercise its functions as trustee in those territories until such time as it can relinquish those functions to a provisional government.”
Numbered paragraph 3: Proposed revision of Clark–Darlan agreement is a matter for the Allied High Command in North Africa.
Numbered paragraph 4: The following wording is more consistent with our views. “The work of the Council will envisage contacts with the Allied powers or other states as regards those French territories for which it is or may become trustee. In particular the desirability of entering into a general lend-lease agreement with the United States is recognized. The Council may establish and maintain relations with foreign governments through direct negotiations with those governments as to the form of representation and appointment of representatives. It will centralize financial questions and control.”
Numbered paragraph 6: Questions of this kind would have to be decided in consultation with the United Nations.
Section 4, numbered paragraph 7: The Council will be accorded representation in a United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation program.
Numbered paragraph 9: We would prefer that the first sentence begin as follows: “The French Army will be represented with forces of the other United Nations in the liberation of France and the restoration of order.”
Of course, it is clear that after agreement may be reached between the two French groups, any matters in their basis of agreement which require other than unilateral action by the French would have to be discussed with the United States Government and with the British Government before becoming effective.
[Page 94]Consideration by the United States Government and the British Government of any new arrangement by the French with respect to the administration of French territories now or in the future free of Axis domination must remain subject to the exigencies of the prosecution of the war against the Axis.