851.01/3623: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Acting American Representative to the French Committee of National Liberation at Algiers (Chapin)
1211. This is secret for information of Murphy and Chapin. Substance of your 1109, April 4 was duly referred to Joint Chiefs of Staff in light of President’s attitude as described in Department’s 221 and 17 of December 23 and January 3 respectively.69 We are now in receipt of reply from General Marshall70 stating in substance as follows:
“The President’s wish that all military matters be handled directly between General Eisenhower and French military authorities rather than on a Government or Committee basis was known to Joint Chiefs of Staff. Therefore it was at insistence of Joint Chiefs that London draft agreement was amended by Combined Chiefs to provide for signature and presentation to French Committee by General Wilson as Eisenhower’s successor. In the circumstances there is no action which Joint Chiefs feel that they can appropriately take.”