740.0011 European War 1939/26531: Telegram
The Chargé in the Soviet Union (Henderson) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 16—9:41 a.m.]
537. Department’s 620, December 9, 1 [6] p.m., to Kuibyshev.
- 1.
- I called on Molotov this evening in order to carry out the instructions contained in the telegram referred to. He listened in a most sympathetic manner while I was reading the substance of the message for Darlan and when I had concluded asked me a few questions with regard to it. He inquired in particular regarding the meaning of the sentence beginning “This will not be the case”. Although no reply had arrived to my telegram 1082, December 11, 7 p.m.,74 I said that it was my understanding that in this sentence we were trying to make it clear to Darlan that if he should begin to devote his efforts to building [Page 485] up an organization for serving other than purely military purposes we would no longer consider that he was playing a useful role: that he must bear in mind that other French groups were also making important contributions in the military field, and that the American Government had never given its support to their political aims.
- 2.
- Molotov asked if the message had already been delivered to Darlan. I said that I assumed that it had since the instructions had been issued a week ago. He then requested that I express his appreciation to my Government for its courtesy in bringing the message to his attention and to report that he had found it fully satisfactory.
He added that several days ago Stalin had sent a message to the President through Litvinov75 expressing his own approval and that of the other members of the Government with the policy of Eisenhower towards Darlan. He, Molotov, felt that the American Government should be congratulated on the skill which it had displayed in utilizing Darlan and his associates for the benefit of the Allied cause. Stalin had informed Churchill more than a week ago that he was pleased with the American policies in North Africa.