851.48/400
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State
The French Ambassador called at his request and immediately took up the question of hastening the shipment of food supplies to unoccupied France, with special reference to the proposed two gift cargoes of wheat. The Ambassador seemed on the defensive all the way through. He proceeded in a rather lame manner to explain away any serious objections to the barter agreement entered into in October 1940 between Mr. Laval, representing the French Government, and the Hitler Government. The Ambassador sought to emphasize the view that no increase in food supplies to either Germany or France was contemplated by these exchanges; that the French were undertaking to give something of which they had an excess for certain necessities of which they had none; that this entire matter had lain dormant from October to February; that transportation facilities would prevent the carrying out of this exchange except to a partial extent; that this plan of exchange relates to seven and one-half months and not twelve months; that the execution of the plan depends upon available transportation facilities; that as regards wheat the unoccupied zone can only expect 40,000 tons a month from the occupied zone from April first to September first; that this tonnage will reduce to 490,000 tons the deficiency of the unoccupied zone which would otherwise have amounted to 700,000 tons; and that, therefore, it is for the purpose of reducing this deficiency that the two American cargoes are sought, otherwise there will be bread deficiency for more than two months. This was in substance the same statement that came through our own Embassy at Vichy.
I said to the Ambassador that the conduct and attitude of Darlan and his supporters during past months have created the definite understanding in other countries, including my own, that Darlan is more interested in serving Hitler than he is in feeding his own people; that this is in no way an expression of any personal views, but that I am just bringing the matter up to show that despite the most strenuous efforts of this Government from day to day since the French Government left Paris to be cooperative with the French Government and the [Page 145] French people in every feasible way, it is manifest now that unless some readjustments of the attitude and utterances of the Darlan group, including the French Government, can be brought about the opportunities of my Government to aid France in a steadily expanding way and by an increased number of methods, will be practically destroyed. I stated to the Ambassador that his Government must realize that this Government is consecrating every relevant resource short of war to the success of Great Britain; that this is our one supreme objective and must continue to be so, and that, therefore, this Government itself is very much interested in and concerned with respect to the Darlan pro-Hitler attitude. I said that I am constantly pleading with the British against any act or utterance on their part that might be subject to question on the part of the French in connection with the relations between the two countries, and urging the British to pursue a course of greater moderation; that as a friendly intermediary I am making this sort of plea both to the French and the British from the standpoint of their respective acts of omission or commission that might drive the two countries further apart, to the great embarrassment of the United States. I reminded the Ambassador that just at the time when the two cargoes of foodstuffs were in the act of being agreed to by the British Darlan uttered his eulogy on Germany in connection with relief, his usual bitter denunciation of Britain and his loud threat to convoy, and I again emphasized that, of course, this Government is interested in these efforts to aid Germany when it is exerting itself greatly to aid Britain, and I must again also emphasize the view that unless there is more moderation and breadth of view on the part of the Darlan group and less open and concealed partiality towards Hitler, there will come a speedy end to all our efforts to be helpful to France. I again reminded the Ambassador that France had no right whatever to indulge in favoritism to Hitler but only to keep within the limits of the Armistice terms governing its status as a neutral or captive country, that France only had a right to use her shipping within these same terms and also within the terms of the law of blockade like other neutral countries are doing and are always expected to do; that my country as a supporter of Great Britain in all ways short of war is itself greatly interested in the pursuit of this course by France and that I desired to emphasize this position. The Ambassador had very little to say in reply to this except that the British are in the habit of seizing French ships in the guise of blockade laws and rights and then proceeding to keep them permanently. I replied that, without passing on the facts or merits of this matter or of the French excesses in violating the law of blockade by shipping many things to Germany and using their merchant ships in ways unauthorized, I strongly felt that the French and the British should find means to put an end to the present crimination and recrimination, [Page 146] including exchange of shots in connection with the operation of French merchant ships; and that this could only be done in a spirit of mutual concession.
Throughout our conversation I came back more than once to Darlan and his attitude of bitter opposition to Great Britain and his constant attempts to favor Hitler, all of which seemed almost incomprehensible to me. I also continued to emphasize the fact that this attitude injuriously affected the United States as well as Great Britain. The Ambassador made no defense really of Darlan and his conduct. I then added that Darlan must know that any attempt to purchase the favor of Hitler will not only prevent the French Government from getting back within the limits of the armistice terms and of neutrality, but Hitler will demand three prices for each concession that Darlan may ask for from time to time hereafter.
The Ambassador at one point sought to indicate that more and more of the French people were getting around to a favorable view towards Great Britain.
He left with the statement that he would send to me the next morning a memorandum setting forth the offer of the French Government to allow American consular officers to inspect French cargoes destined from French colonies to unoccupied France on the continent. I expressed interest in this phase and said that it would be given attention.