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The British Prime Minister (Churchill) to President Roosevelt 48
Since my telegram of March 12th about feeding unoccupied France we have been confronted with the agreement between Darlan and Berlin for the supply of large quantities of foodstuffs to unoccupied France in exchange naturally for a quid pro quo to the occupied zone from which the German army of occupation is a heavy gainer. There are also press reports of Vichy trying to negotiate purchases of foodstuffs in Latin-America. If we were to put up with this it would mean that French ships unhampered by the fetters of convoy, would soon be doing a big trade and Germany would secure at least half of the import. This seems to put the matter in a new light.
Parliament and the public will ask me why when we are ourselves suffering a grievous blockade and British rations are reduced week by week the French and Germans should have these advantages thus prolonging the war. Moreover the Belgians, Dutch and Norwegians, whose privations and sufferings are far worse than those of Vichy France, may soon ask that their own ships in our service should carry food to their own countries. We ourselves in Britain need more ships and food more stringently every week in order to carry on the war with its present vigour.
I am therefore instructing the Admiralty to tighten up the blockade of unoccupied France as far as our naval resources and opportunities allow and I hope that you will not think that this is unwise or unreasonable. The two gift-ships will of course be let through as agreed between us. We are cabling in detail through Lord Halifax.
- Presumably copy of telegram received from the British Embassy.↩