851.01/3931: Telegram
The Acting American Representative to the French Committee of National Liberation at Algiers (Chapin) to the Secretary of State
[Received 6:20 p.m.]
1949. From Murphy. I have learned from a member of de Gaulle’s secretariat that a further report has been received from General de Gaulle for information of FCNL. It appears that when de Gaulle saw Churchill and began to explain French position with regard to various matters including the financial question Churchill said he regretted that there had been no agreement made with the French but now that the battle was beginning for the liberation of France all efforts should be concentrated on the battle and the various questions on which there was no agreement could be taken up later on. De Gaulle apparently went into a rage.
Later on de Gaulle saw Eden alone. Eden was most sympathetic according to de Gaulle and could not have been more kind. He went on at great length to explain how much he deplored France’s present situation, how he and his colleagues in the Foreign Office had tried to do everything they could with House of Commons, with the press, et cetera, to be of assistance to French Committee. He reminded de Gaulle that as he had stated in House of Commons21 Great Britain needed France now more than ever before and he intended to see to it during his administration as Foreign Minister that everything possible was done to restore France to her former position and prestige. Eden asserted that as for himself he had done everything he could to be of assistance to the French but that the Prime Minister and the [Page 707] President of United States of America did not feel anything more could be done than had been done up to the present time.
De Gaulle then went on to say in his report that Eden had counselled him (de Gaulle) to sit down patiently in London with him and try to work out something which represented at least some progress. If de Gaulle would do this, his hand for his conversations in Washington would be considerably strengthened and his position would be much improved vis-à-vis the United States. De Gaulle said he derived impression from Eden that there was a possibility of working out some sort of a compromise on the issuance of bank notes.
The Secretary General of the FCNL stated last evening that in spite of the bad beginning of the de Gaulle visit to London he was convinced from reports he had seen that the trip will turn out to have been useful and he is certain the General’s position will have been considerably strengthened. [Murphy.]
- See speech of May 25, Parliamentary Debates, House of Commons, 5th series, vol. 400, col. 1044.↩