740.00112 European War 1939/3284
The French Ambassador (Henry-Haye) to the Secretary of State 65
The Ambassador of France has the honor to refer to his conversation of the 20th of August with His Excellency the Secretary of State,66 in the course of which he protested against the inhuman [Page 592] blockade from which the population of the French Colony of the Somali Coast is suffering, and to his note of May 5 indicating the gravity of the food conditions in this Colony and the reasons why the British Government cannot justify a refusal to allow food to pass through by the risk of seeing it fall possibly into the hands of its enemies.
The Ambassador would be grateful to His Excellency the Secretary of State if the latter would be good enough to obtain from the British authorities free passage for a French vessel coming from Madagascar which would be loaded exclusively with food intended for the French Somali Coast.
This vessel would be the Commandant Dorize.
The Consul of the United States in Madagascar would receive all facilities for going on board the vessel in question for the purpose of verifying the composition of the goods and the names of the consignees. The French Government would even be prepared to permit the passage on board the Commandant Dorize of one of the attaches of the Consulate of the United States who would verify the distribution which would be made at Djibouti of the provisions imported. It would be understood that no further French revictualing vessel would be sent to the Colony except after a favorable report from the Consulate of the United States in Madagascar concerning the use of the goods of the Commandant Dorize.
The Ambassador of France would be grateful to His Excellency the Secretary of State if the latter would be so kind as to advise him as promptly as possible of the reception given to this proposal, which Admiral Leahy must have transmitted on his part to the Department of State.
Mr. Henry-Haye is happy [etc.]