740.0011 European War 1939/10537½: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Leahy) to the Secretary of State
[Received May 5—8:30 a.m.]
508. Yesterday at 5 p.m. I obtained an interview with Marshal Pétain, no other person being present than Mr. Everett63 to act as interpreter, and I informed him orally of the contents of Department’s cable despatch 375, April 30, 1 p.m.
The Marshal expressed pleasure and high appreciation of the effort being made by America to keep two ships continuously available to import wheat to unoccupied France. He said it will ease an immediately serious situation “if it can be accomplished”. Quotations are the Marshal’s words.
He stated that there has as yet been no pressure from Germany to permit more Germans to enter North Africa, to permit the passage of German troops through unoccupied France to the Spanish frontier, or to obtain assistance from France in the war against England.
He said that Admiral Darlan is today in Paris in compliance with a request to consult, presumably with representatives of the German Government, that he has no information whatever as to what is the purpose or what may be the result of this conference, but that he expects some demands for increased “collaboration”.
He promised to inform me in regard to the result of Admiral Darlan’s conference and to inform me definitely in regard to any decisions that he may make in connection therewith, stating that he has always been frank in his relations with me as I have been with him and that [Page 161] he will not permit of any deception or evasion in our exchanges of information. This I believe to be an accurate statement of the Marshal’s personal attitude but I am not sure that facts are not sometimes concealed by subordinates in his entourage without his knowledge. He stated that he does not intend to agree to any collaboration by France that is beyond the requirements of the Armistice Agreement, that he has publicly stated that he will not consent to any offensive action against his former ally, that Germany has no need of a passage for its troops through unoccupied France to the Spanish frontier, and that he is endeavoring to limit the number of Germans in the African colonies. It is accepted here as a fact that a refusal by the Marshal to agree to German demands would have no deterrent effect on German [apparent omission].
He is thoroughly aware of the danger to our plans to provide food involved in making concessions to Germany, and if his Government is forced to collaborate to such an extent as to stop our importation of food, he will understand the impossibility of our continuing the supply and will appreciate what we will have already done and [our?] intentions.
The Marshal, who 3 days ago conferred with Pietri, the Ambassador to Spain, thinks it possible that Germany will in the near future march through Spain either against Gibraltar or to some other place on the Mediterranean coast from which the Strait can be controlled. He has recently inspected and is familiar with the defense equipment of Gibraltar. Germany has heavy artillery installed on all sides of Gibraltar, and as a soldier he will be interested to learn about the effect of heavy artillery fire on the solid rock.
He does not believe that it is necessary for Germany to occupy Gibraltar as the Straits can be covered by gunfire from the Spanish Coast and the Coast of Spanish Morocco. He is aware of the danger to French North Africa involved in the arrival of German troops in Spanish Morocco but does not seem to feel that France can do anything to prevent it. In reply to my statement that the British Government will give all the assistance in its power if German demands beyond the letter of the Armistice Agreement are effectively resisted, he said: “I am unable to make any comment on that.”
In regard to the possibility of using the French Fleet to assist in the control of communications with North Africa and Syria he said that under terms of the armistice he is not permitted to use the French Navy against the Axis Powers and that he is doing his best to adhere to the Armistice Agreement. While I take advantage of every opportunity to assure the Marshal and members of his Government that the Axis Powers will certainly be defeated, I am convinced that there is no prospect whatever of getting any assistance for the British [Page 162] cause from the French military or naval forces at the present time or until a tangible British victory somewhere gives promise of the probable eventual defeat of Germany.
Germany’s rapid success in Greece and in North Africa has had a serious effect on British prestige here and on the attitude of those officials of the French Government who have heretofore been pro-British if inarticulate.
The Marshal told me that he has informed the Germans that he cannot govern without the approval of the French people who are his sole interest and that he will refuse to accept any demands that do not meet with the approval of his people. He has the full confidence and the openly expressed affection of practically the entire population of France. His Ministers, particularly Darlan, definitely have not that confidence. They are believed to be pro-Axis and most of the people are either openly or secretly pro-British.
The Marshal, just returned from a journey in celebration of Labor Day which he said was a difficult physical effort, appeared fatigued and worried.
- Curtis T. Everett, First Secretary of Embassy in France.↩