740.00112 European War 1939/2652
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Under Secretary of State (Welles)
The British Ambassador called to see me this morning. The Ambassador brought up the question of our pending commercial negotiations with North Africa. He said that the British Government earnestly [Page 262] hoped that we were keeping [them?] fully advised of all developments in this regard and that they regretted the fact that we had proceeded in the matter without first obtaining the complete identity of views with the British Government. I reminded the Ambassador that, as had been set forth in a memorandum recently handed to his Embassy, this Government had asked the views of the British Government with regard to this problem and specifically with regard to British policy as far back as the beginning of December and that we had never had any definite answer until the early part of February. I said that it seemed very clear to this Government that it was in the interest of both the British Government and the Government of the United States that North Africa should not be deprived of those products absolutely essential to the normal economic wellbeing of the French North African possessions. It seemed to me that if the French authorities in North Africa were confronted with the situation which would exist if the native populations were completely bereft of food supplies, their control would soon break down and German invasion of North Africa would consequently be a far more likely contingency than would otherwise be the case. To this Lord Halifax emphatically agreed but expressed the hope that the United States would make a point, before any agreement were reached, of insisting upon the release by the French authorities of the merchant ships in the North African ports. I replied that after careful study of the armistice conditions, it did not seem to the Department of State that the French authorities could possibly agree to this condition. I said it seemed to us clear that the armistice specifically prohibited the French from releasing ships which would go to Great Britain. I said that I did not see that any useful purpose would be served by our attempting to insist upon a condition which we knew the French Government and the French authorities of North Africa were not able to grant. After some discussion of this point the Ambassador agreed but nevertheless expressed the hope that we would mention our interest in the release of these ships.