851.01/6–2044
The British Embassy to the Department of State
Aide-Mémoire
There is at present a difference between United States and British practice in referring to the French Committee of National Liberation in broadcasts, leaflets, etc.
The British and United States propaganda agencies are at one in avoiding in their own output the use of the words “Provisional Government” as a description of the French Committee. It is, however, from time to time necessary for them to quote official documents which do so describe the French Committee.
British propaganda agencies do not alter the wording of such quotations to omit the words “provisional government”, whereas it is understood that American propaganda agencies do do so.
The resultant discrepancy between British and American propaganda output is liable to cause confusion. There is, for instance, at present a discrepancy in broadcasts from London and broadcasts from Algiers under the control of the Political Warfare Branch of Allied Forces Headquarters which is, of course, a combined Anglo-American body. Algiers normally rebroadcasts a certain number of London programmes.
It is felt that the retention of the words “provisional government” in quotations from official documents in no way carries with it recognition of the French Committee as a provisional government.