851.01/7–1244: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 12—2:43 p.m.]
5488. Answering a question in Parliament regarding French affairs Mr. Eden said that the results of the discussions on civil affairs in liberated France and other questions which had taken place in London between British and French officials have been under examination. He said that he is now able to state that the British Government has endorsed the outcome of those discussions and that it had good hopes that on this basis an announcement would shortly be made that formal agreements have been concluded between the British Government, the United States Government and the French Committee of National Liberation. He declared that the British Government had thought it desirable however to make no statement of the British position upon these matters until after de Gaulle’s visit to Washington. After referring to the President’s press conference yesterday Mr. Eden said that the House would have observed that the United States has decided to recognise the Committee as the de facto authority for the Government of the liberated area of France pending an election and that the United States Government is prepared to use as a basis the draft agreements arrived at in London between representatives of the British Government and the French Committee. He declared that the British Government naturally welcomes this decision of the United States Government all the more so since the Anglo-French discussions in London were conducted on the basis that the French Committee would in fact exercise governmental authority in France as liberation proceeds. Mr. Eden said that the House would welcome this progress in Allied relations and would note that its own forbearance in not pressing for a debate was a by no means unhelpful contribution to the satisfactory developments which he had pleasure in reporting today.
A further question was asked as to when an announcement would be made on the basis on which these agreements had been reached. Mr. Eden replied that the President had told nobody what was in documents. He continued by saying that there are a number of documents covering civil affairs which the British Government has approved and he also understood that the French Committee had also approved of them. He concluded by saying that as soon as the agreements are finally approved they will be signed and will then be available to Parliament.