851G.24/12
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Under Secretary of State (Welles)
The French Ambassador called this evening to see me at his urgent request.
The Ambassador said that he had not as yet received a reply to the inquiry he had made by telegram of his Government after his last conversation with me as to the assurances the French Government could offer that any munitions which might be purchased in the United States by the authorities of Indo-China would actually be received by the French authorities in Indo-China and not seized by the Japanese.
The Ambassador said, however, that he had received another telegram which he felt it necessary to communicate to me immediately.
This telegram set forth that the French Government earnestly desired to obtain for Indo-China munitions in the United States, and even suggested that the American planes which had been destined for Siam and which had been held in Manila by orders of the United States Government be transferred to Indo-China instead.
I stated that with regard to this entire subject I had, of course, nothing whatever to say to the Ambassador until he could inform me what assurances the French Government had to offer as to the safe delivery of any munitions purchased here.
The Ambassador then went on to say that he was further instructed to say that the Italian Armistice Committee had granted permission to the French Government to transport Senegalese troops with munitions and armaments from Djibouti to Indo-China on the French ship Esperance. These troops, the Ambassador said, were already en route to Indo-China when the vessel was seized by the British.
The Ambassador said he was further instructed to state that the French Government had obtained permission from the German Armistice Committee to transport troops and armament from France to Indo-China either by the Cape of Good Hope or by way of the Panama Canal. The transports on which these troops would go would be accompanied by two French submarines.
The French Government desired the assistance of the United States Government in obtaining from the British Government permission for these troops to leave for Indo-China and also to obtain from the British Government the release of the Esperance so that the troops on board might proceed as rapidly as possible to Indo-China for defense purposes.
I told the Ambassador that I would merely commit myself at this stage to stating that I would inquire of the British Government [Page 173] through the British Ambassador what the facts might be with regard to the Esperance and that I would reserve any decision as to the policy which this Government might follow with regard to asking the British Government to grant the permission desired by the French Government.
I then said to the Ambassador that I would be grateful to him if he could explain to me the reason for the strange anomaly which seemed to be presented by the German and Italian Governments granting permission to the French Government to transport large numbers of troops and quantities of munitions to Indo-China, apparently for defense purposes against the Japanese, at the very moment when the German and Italian Governments had entered into a far-reaching alliance with Japan and when there was every reason to presume that the occupation of Indo-China by Japan had been undertaken only with the full consent and approval of the German and the Italian Governments.
The Ambassador stated with somewhat artificial ingenuousness that he had been asking himself that very question and that he had reached the conclusion that the permission to transport troops and munitions to Indo-China had been given because of the desire of Germany and Italy to prevent Japan from extending herself too far in Southern Asia and thus facilitating a Japanese attack upon the Netherlands East Indies which Germany desired to retain for herself.
The Ambassador asked with a good deal of emphasis that I let him have the reply of this Government as soon as might be possible since every day counted.
At the conclusion of this part of our conversation the Ambassador spent once more a considerable amount of time in emphasizing the difficulties of his own personal situation, the lack of comprehension in the United States for the patriotism and sincerity of the Petain Government, and the imperative need of the French Government to obtain food supplies from the United States.