851.01/9–1944
Memorandum by the Secretary of State to President Roosevelt
Subject: Proposed Recognition of a Provisional Government of France.
With reference to your memorandum of September 19,68 in which you stated that you and Mr. Churchill had discussed the question of recognition of a provisional government of France and had decided against this step for the time being, it occurs to me that you may not yet have had an opportunity to give thought to the considerations set forth in my memorandum to you of September 17, of which I enclose a copy.69
Although Mr. Churchill may still be opposed to the extension of provisional recognition at this time, we understand that a strong message was sent to him from the Foreign Office recommending this step. What I fear is a repetition of our experience with the North African situation in which Mr. Churchill consistently supported our policy, while all other British Services, from the Foreign Office down, fought tooth and nail against it. In other words, I fully expect that in innumerable ways it will be represented to the French that the British [Page 738] Government is willing, and even eager, to extend recognition but that the United States remains adamant in its opposition.
Every indication that I have seen is that American prestige and popularity in France are today higher than any time in our history. Some of this is bound to wear off but I think that today we have a unique opportunity, fully consistent with our policy toward France as publicly proclaimed, to place our relations on a more normal and stable basis and to take a step which should make difficult, if not impossible, the undermining of our position in France.