711.51/198½
Memorandum by Mr. Samuel Reber of the Division of European Affairs
In July 1941 M. Pleven, a representative of General de Gaulle,20 arrived in the United States in order to establish some basis of relation between this country and the Free French Movement. M. Pleven was introduced by the British Ambassador and presented a memorandum21 regarding the principal needs of the Free French, particularly as regards the colonial possessions under their authority. These involved primarily shipping and certain supplies. M. Pleven was informed that this Government was thoroughly sympathetic with these requirements of the French colonial possessions under General de Gaulle’s authority and arrangements were made to permit purchases of quantities of non-military supplies. At the instance of the Department the Barber Line, an American company, agreed to call at Free French ports in Equatorial Africa. The Red Cross has allotted a supply of drugs and pharmaceutical products. With regard to military supplies, the Department recommended on July 16 that the British Embassy be informed, and the Consul at Leopoldville22 was instructed, that the question of military supplies to the Free French colony could be treated as part of the problem of aid to Great Britain to be delivered under the terms of the Lend-Lease Act.23 Requests from the Free French authorities were to be treated as an integral part of aid to the British and would be given equal consideration when presented through British channels.
This was implemented on November 11 by the President’s declaration in the form of a letter to the Lend-Lease Administrator which stated that “in order to enable you to arrange for Lend-Lease aid to the French Volunteer Forces (Free French) by way of retransfer from His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom or their allies, I hereby find that the defense of any French territory under the control of the French Volunteer Forces (Free French) is vital to the defense of the United States.” It was agreed with M. Pleven that Free French naval vessels could enter American ports for repairs on the same status as British war vessels, it being understood that arrangements should be made through the British Admiralty which at that time was coordinating Free French naval effort with its own.
[Page 503]In order that the needs of the strategically important Free French colony of Equatorial Africa might be properly evaluated as well as its military requirements a commission composed of an Army officer, a naval officer and a representative of the Department of State was despatched to Brazzaville in September.24 The naval and State Department members have returned to the United States and the latter’s report setting forth the needs of the colony in detail as well as the possibilities for increased trade was concluded late in December and is now under study by the appropriate officials of the Government.
A Free French Delegation which is in constant contact with the Department of State as well as with other departments of the Government, has been established in Washington and relations with it have been on a very cordial basis in so far as this Department is concerned. Upon received [receiving] an official notification of the constitution of the French National Committee in London the Department of State replied officially as follows:
“I have been directed by the Secretary of State to express appreciation of your courtesy in thus notifying this Government of the constitution of the National Committee in London and of the relationship of the authorities of certain French territories with the aforesaid Committee. The policy of this Government as regards France is based upon the maintenance of the integrity of France and of the French Empire and of the eventual restoration of the complete independence of all French territories. Mindful of its traditional friendship for France this Government has deeply sympathized with the desire of the French people to maintain their territories and to preserve them intact. In its relations with the local French authorities in French territories, the United States will be governed by the manifest effectiveness with which those authorities endeavor to protect these territories from domination and control by those powers which are seeking to extend their rule by force and conquest, or by the threat thereof.”
- Gen. Charles de Gaulle, President of the National Committee of the Free French at London.↩
- See Foreign Relations, 1941, vol. ii, pp. 573, 574.↩
- Patrick Mallon.↩
- Approved March 11, 1941; 55 Stat. 31.↩
- See Foreign Relations, 1941, vol. ii, pp. 570 ff.↩