1941 : British Communique to be accepted by General de Gaulle

DRAFT OF COMMUNIQUE WHICH WOULD BW ACCEPTED BY GENERAL DE GAULLE

1. The islands are French and will remain French.

2. The present Administrator shall be withdrawn; the Administration of the islands shall be exercised by the Consultative Council.

3. The above-mentioned Council wil will agree to the appointment of Canadian and United States’ officials to assist them in the operation of the wireless stations on the islands in the common interest of the Allies.

4. The Free Franch National Committee inform His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom that they never intended that ships of the Free French Naval forces should remain in the islands, and that these ships will shortly resume their normal duties of attacking the enemy wherever they may find him.

5. The Canadian and American Government agree and undertake to continue economic assistance to the inhabitants of the islands, and the respective Consuls of those countries will conifer with the local authorities as to the DEPARTMENT OF STATE

WASHINGTON July 29, 1942. MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT Let me call your attention to the attached telegram No. 1099, of July 28, 5 p.m., from our Charge d’Affaires in Vichy, Mr. Tuck. This telegram refers to the telegram from Bern which reported, among other things, that Darlan was inclined to favor giving some French submarines to Germany to be operated by the German naval forces. In accordance with your suggestion, a telegram was sent to Tuck last night asking if he would endeavor to ascertain from frlendly sources in Vichy Darlan’ s attitude toward turning over French submarines to the German. The attached telegram is, of course, not a reply to our telegram of last night, but is a voluntary report from Tuck of his comment on the Bern telegram. Enclosure: Telegram No. 1099, of July 28, 5 p.m., from Vichy.

General de Gaulle would agree te the draft Communique on the understanding (which would not be mentioned in the Communique) that all parties agree:

1. That the Free French Administrator will remain but will be merged in the Consultative Council.

2. That the Marines remain. (This is return to the pre-Armistice status quo; the islands must have some defence against the enemy.)

3. The Council will be under the orders of the National Committee.