851.01/3938: Telegram
The Acting American Representative to the French Committee of National Liberation at Algiers (Chapin) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:40 p.m.]
1923. From Murphy. A reliable source in the French administration, who prefers that his name be not mentioned, said this morning that two telegrams had been received in Algiers from General de Gaulle. De Gaulle was in a very bitter state of mind. He had telegraphed French Committee on the details with regard to his arrival in London and briefly outlined his conversations with Churchill, Eden, Eisenhower, et cetera. He complained that he had been tricked into coming to London and had been presented with a fait accompli. Everything had been prepared for the invasion. The British had even had the impertinence to tell him he would be expected to make a speech over the radio on morning of D–Day immediately following Eisenhower. This he refused to do on the ground that he had not wanted to give the impression that he approved of everything that Eisenhower was doing with regard to France. Consequently he did not make his speech until the afternoon of D–Day.
De Gaulle was furious over the question of the issuance of what he terms “counterfeit currency” (see our 1894, June 8).
Our friend went on to say that General de Gaulle had permitted his technical liaison officer to accompany Allied armies which went into France, but had refused to permit his administrative liaison officer to go in with the Allied troops and thus create the impression that he condoned the acts of American and British military commanders in connection with civilian affairs. General de Gaulle did report to French Committee that he was satisfied with military preparations for invasion and indicated confidence that invasion would [Page 705] be a success. In one of the two messages which had thus far arrived in Algiers from London de Gaulle sought to give impression to members of French Committee that General Eisenhower was most apologetic with regard to the arrangements which had been made for handling of civilian administration in France; that he preferred not to have anything to do with it; that he was a soldier and not a politician; and that none of the present arrangements was his doing. In this connection deGaulle asserted to his commissioners that when General Eisenhower left North Africa last December he had called on him, de Gaulle, to say goodbye and that Eisenhower had admitted that he did not have a good grasp of the situation in North Africa and that he was sorry there had been so much difficulty and even apologized for the many mistakes which had been made. De Gaulle ended his comments on his conversation with Eisenhower with statement that Eisenhower was a good soldier who was being made to do something he did not want to do. [Murphy.]