851.2478–2544
The Department of State
to the Delegation of the French Committee of
National Liberation
Memorandum
This will evidence the formal acceptance of the Memorandum concerning
lend-lease and reciprocal aid informally agreed upon by the United
States and French Delegations during the negotiations recently
[Page 759]
carried on in Washington.
Copies of the Memorandum are attached.
The acceptance of the Memorandum is based upon the support which the
French Committee of National Liberation continues to receive from
the majority of the French who are fighting for the defeat of
Germany and the liberation of France. In evidencing such acceptance,
the Department of State understands that it is the intention of the
Committee that the French people will be given an opportunity to
select a government of their own free choice as soon as the military
situation permits. The Department also understands that when the
authority now exercised by the Committee is transferred to such a
government, the undertakings accepted by the French authorities in
the attached memorandum, to the extent not at that time already
performed, will be assumed by such a government.
It is suggested that the French Delegation signify its acceptance of
the attached Memorandum by initialling.8
Washington
, August 25, 1944.
[Annex]
Memorandum Relating to Lend-Lease and
Reciprocal Aid
- 1.
- The appropriate United States and French authorities will
continue negotiations immediately on the basis of this
memorandum with a view to concluding as soon as possible, in
accordance with the general principles governing lend-lease
aid, a lend-lease and reciprocal aid agreement applicable to
continental France, which, when and as concluded, shall be
deemed to have been in effect on and after June 6,
1944.
- 2.
- (a) The agreement contemplated in
Article 1 above will determine the aid which the United
States will furnish to France and, in particular, to the
French armed forces (including the French forces of the
interior) under the provisions of the Lend-Lease Act,
including credit arrangements under Section 3 (c) of that Act.
- (b) The contemplated agreement will
also determine the aid which the French authorities will
furnish to the United States and, in particular, to the
United States forces in continental France in the way of
supplies, materials, facilities, and services.
- (c) The contemplated agreement will
provide that while each party retains the right of final
decision, in the light of its own potentialities and
responsibilities, decisions as to the most effective use of
resources shall, as far as possible, be made in common, in
pursuance of the common plan for winning the war.
- 3.
- The contemplated agreement will also be based on the
following principles:
- (a)
- The United States will make current payments in
dollars to the French authorities for the equivalent
of the amount of French francs used for the
expenditures of the United States forces in
continental France for purposes other than those
treated as reciprocal aid under 2(b) above; in particular, for the net pay,
allowances and other emoluments of the United States
troops in continental France and for the cost of any
articles requisitioned which are not supplied under
2(b) above.
- (b)
- The French authorities will make current payments
in dollars for civilian supplies furnished to
continental France by the United States other than
those furnished under the Lend-Lease Act pursuant to
2(a) above, and will use
for this purpose French public dollar and gold
assets including the holdings of the Bank of
France.
- 4.
- Pending the conclusion of and without prejudice to the
contemplated agreement:
- (a)
- The United States will make current payments in
dollars to the French authorities for the net amount
of French franc currency used for the pay,
allowances, or other emoluments of the United States
troops in France, on or since June 6, 1944. Whenever
it is mutually ascertained that supplies purchased
with francs or requisitioned shall not be supplied
under 2(b) above and will not
be repaid in kind, payment in dollars will be
made.
- (b)
- The French authorities will make current payments
in dollars to the United States for supplies
furnished to continental France on or since June 6,
1944, by the United States under the agreed
procedure under Plan A and Plan B. If the amount of
dollars acquired by the French authorities on
account of troop pay or from other sources is
inadequate to make current payment for such
supplies, the French authorities will use for this
purpose other French public dollar and gold assets
including the holdings of the Bank of France.
