740.0011 European War 1939/13203: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Leahy)
612. You should seek an early opportunity to inform Admiral Darlan of the position of this Government as regards the recent acquiescence by the French Government in Japanese aggression in Indochina and its bearing upon the vital problem of American security, referring to my statement of July 24.25
Whereas this Government recognized that the French Government may have been in no position to resist the pressure exercised upon it, it is nevertheless not clear what are the intentions of the French Government in providing in collaboration with the Japanese Government for the “common defense” of this territory.
The French Government has publicly declared and has lost no opportunity to impress upon this Government its determination to resist to the utmost all encroachments upon the sovereignty of its Empire and in fact has given solemn assurances that it would not deviate from the Armistice obligations or permit the use of its territory as bases for military operations against its former ally. In the case of Syria, a French mandate, the French Government permitted the German and Italian forces to make use of certain facilities to assist the operations against the British in Iraq.26 It was then alleged that such actions were in fulfillment of the Armistice obligations. The Government of the United States could not accept that the Armistice terms in any way provided for any obligation upon France to undertake active cooperation with German aviation forces in Syria or to facilitate belligerent operations through assistance rendered. On the other hand, when the French authorities in Syria refused to permit British forces to enter the mandated territory,27 it was again stated that France was resisting foreign aggression.
The recent agreement concluded with the Government of Japan now permits foreign forces to occupy and enter a territory which is an integral part of the French Empire, for reasons which surpass the scope of any agreement to which the French Government is known to be a party.
Under the circumstances, this Government is hesitant to believe that there has been any change in the determination of the French Government to resist foreign aggression but is impelled to inquire in the interests of its own national security whether the position of [Page 244] the French Government has altered and whether it contemplates any further commitments which in fact would constitute agreements permitting the use of French soil for military operations against third powers.
You may subsequently wish to discuss this matter with the Marshal and endeavor to clarify his remark to you that France was “on the eve of events of the greatest import” (your 888, July 16, 5 p.m.).
- See press release issued by the Department of State on July 24, 1941, Foreign Relations, Japan, 1931–1941, vol. ii, p. 315.↩
- For correspondence, see vol. iii, under Syria and Lebanon, section entitled “Interest of the United States Regarding the Impact of European War Upon Syria and Lebanon”, pt. II.↩
- See ibid., pt. III.↩