The British Prime Minister (Churchill) to President Roosevelt 35
517. 1. I have signalled my colleagues that I am in entire agreement with your No. 42336 about the arrests and have every expectation that instructions will be given to Macmillan to support your action. The actual form of the démarche might be discussed by Eisenhower with Macmillan and Wilson.
2. Our case is a very strong one. Boisson saved us the cost and diversion of a major expedition against Dakar. Peyrouton returned voluntarily at the invitation of Giraud and his journey was approved and facilitated by the State Department. Flandin was, it is true, a Minister at Vichy and was turned out for his opposition to the German demands. Notably he prevented an expedition from Dakar being sent to attack the Free French near Lake Chad.
3. But far above individuals, the whole question of our relations with France is raised. France can only be liberated by British and American force and bloodshed. To admit that a handful of émigrés are to have the power behind this all-powerful shield to carry civil [Page 197] war into France is to lose the future of that unfortunate country and prevent the earliest expression of the will of the people as a whole, in fact, we should be lending ourselves to a process of adding to the burdens and sacrifices of our troops and of infringing our fundamental principle, “All governments derive their just powers from the consent of the governed.”