851.48/413
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Under Secretary of State (Welles)
The French Ambassador called to see me this morning at his request.
The Ambassador by instruction of his Government made the following request: that until such time as a satisfactory agreement could be reached between the French and the American Governments, with the acquiescence of the British Government, for the purchase by the Vichy Government of food supplies in the United States for the civilian population in unoccupied France, the American Government agree to permit two ships—not more than this number at any given time—to ply between unoccupied French ports and the United States for the purpose of taking food from the United States to unoccupied France, [Page 155] the control of the distribution of the cargoes of such ships to be undertaken by the Red Cross with as many observers and agents for that purpose as the Red Cross and the American Government might consider necessary. The Ambassador further said that French ships not now being utilized could be brought from Martinique to the United States for that purpose with the understanding that if the request were agreed to by this Government, these ships would not depart from American ports until the two Red Cross ships now taking wheat to France were on their return journey. In this manner, he said, the United States could have full assurance that the French ships permitted to leave United States ports for the purpose of taking food to France would be sent back to American ports.
I told the Ambassador that the proposal would be taken under consideration and I would endeavor to give him a reply early next week. I said that of course, as the Ambassador realized, the policy of the French Government was a determining factor with regard to the attitude which this Government would assume towards this proposal and I asked him in that connection whether he had any information as to the nature of the negotiations which Admiral Darlan was undertaking in Paris with the German authorities.
The Ambassador said that he did not. He took occasion to speak with great contempt of M. de Brinon and the policies which he was pursuing in Paris and spoke once more with a great deal of hostility regarding Admiral Darlan and the role which he was playing.