840.48 Refugees/2867: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in France (Leahy)4.
233. Belgian interests. Note from Belgian Embassy, Washington, D. C, March 27, contains following statement:
“The situation of the Belgian refugees and internees in unoccupied, France becomes more and more distressing. The Belgian Offices in France, having no other financial means but those which may be made available to them by the local authorities in Brussels, do not seem to be in a position to assist efficiently these refugees and internees. On [Page 453] the other hand, as the Department is aware, these Belgian Offices in unoccupied France are threatened to be abolished.”
Note also asks this Government to authorize
“its representatives in France to take care of the Belgian refugees and internees there and to extend relief to them on behalf of the Belgian Government.
The Belgian Government furthermore suggests that the new employees, needed by the United States Consulates in unoccupied France to meet with the supplementary work resulting from this assistance, be recruited among the Belgian nationals recommended by the Belgian Government and Belgian Offices in France. The salaries of these employees will, of course, be paid by the Belgian Government.
If the Department agrees on these principles, the Belgian Government intends to instruct Mr. Cavyn, former Belgian Commercial Attaché in France and residing now in Vichy, to contact the United States Embassy there in order to work out the details of the procedure.”
Belgian Embassy is being informed that, subject to the assent of the French Government, this Government will be pleased to authorize its representatives in unoccupied France to pay financial relief from Belgian funds to Belgian nationals in unoccupied France and that you are being authorized to confer with Mr. Cavyn. Department suggests that you assist him in formulating the general principles of a system of relief payments for Belgian nationals in unoccupied France, preferably modeled on the American, British, and Canadian systems. Consultation also with Consulate Marseille might be advisable.
Please report developments briefly by telegraph. Department assumes that details of plan will eventually be arranged between Mr. Cavyn and Belgian Government, London, and will be communicated to this Government through Belgian Embassy, Washington, as usual. Plan should not be put into effect until authorized by Department.
- Substance of last two paragraphs sent to the Consul General at Casablanca in telegram No. 126, April 16, 10 p.m.↩