851.01/3951: Telegram
The Acting American Representative to the French Committee of National Liberation at Algiers (Chapin) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 13—10:56 a.m.]
1982. From Murphy. Your 1840, June 11. I dined with Massigli this evening. He was in a very depressed state of mind. He stated that he felt that everything was in a hopeless mess. He had worked day and night for months to try and improve relations between the United States and French Committee and just as he felt he was beginning to make some progress everything has taken a turn for the worse. He said that it was all well and good if we did not want to recognize the FCNL as the Provisional Government of France but he thought it was brutal at a moment when all of France was looking forward to liberation after 4 years of slavery and starvation for the United States Government to have prevented leaders of French resistance in North Africa to use the United Nations radio simply because the words “Provisional Government” were contained in a speech. He obviously was referring to Emmanuel d’Astier de la Vigerie’s speech which was cancelled because it referred to the “Provisional Government” of France.
When the subject of the issuance of the special currency for France was brought up Massigli stated that never was there the slightest question of Monnet or anyone else approving anything. He could not believe Monnet has done so and if he did he had exceeded his authority.
Massigli went on to say that some people in the British Government were still hopeful for some sort of compromise being worked out on the questions of the issuance of currency and of civil administration in France. In this connection he remarked ironically that the Allies had gotten off to a “good” start in France by retaining as Mayor of Bayeux the notorious Vichyite appointee.
Massigli added that de Gaulle would make every effort to set foot on French soil (probably Bayeux) before returning to North Africa. In any event he did not expect de Gaulle to return to Algiers before the end of this week. The Commissioner for Foreign Affairs then [Page 711] went on to discuss the projected journey of de Gaulle to the United States. He said that he was frankly disturbed. In the first place he did not at all like the manner in which the invitation had been transmitted. Hoppenot should have been the channel of communication and not Admiral Fénard. He had reached the conclusion that the whole matter had been the invention of Fénard. When Fénard had been in Algiers he had called on him (Massigli) and had apprised him of the purpose of his quick trip to North Africa. Massigli said he had telegraphed Hoppenot to see Fénard immediately on the latter’s return to Washington in order to get full information on the reasons for Fénard’s journey. Fénard apparently had failed to keep Hoppenot informed. He, Massigli, was frankly disgusted with the manner in which French affairs in Washington were being handled what with Monnet and Fénard always interfering with what are normally Hoppenot’s functions.
Massigli then asserted that unless something practical could be worked out before de Gaulle left for the United States he feared the trip might have the opposite effect from that so much desired. He did not mean by this that the United States must recognize the French Committee as the Provisional Government but something satisfactory to both sides must be worked out on civil administration in France. A compromise should be worked out on all financial questions also. He appealed for my support in this matter. [Murphy.]