711.51/237
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Under Secretary of State (Welles)
The Minister of Canada69 called to see me this afternoon by instruction of Mr. Mackenzie King.70
During the course of the visit which the Canadian Prime Minister made to me last week, we discussed very fully the present situation in France and the policy which this Government would probably pursue with the new Laval government. Mr. Mackenzie King said that it was his hope, if possible, to pursue an identic policy with the United States. He said at that time, however, that although Mr. Churchill71 had let it be known publicly that the continued relations between Vichy and the Canadian Government were useful to the Government of the United Kingdom, there was increasing pressure within Canada upon Mr. Mackenzie King to sever diplomatic relations [Page 179] and to hand his passports to the French Minister in Ottawa. At the conclusion of our conversation it was agreed that each Government would keep the other informed as to what steps it might contemplate which would change the existing situation.
The instructions which the Minister communicated to me this afternoon stated that Mr. Churchill had now let Mr. Mackenzie King know that he could not again state publicly that he felt it would be useful for Canada to continue relations with Vichy and that, in view of the severance of relations by the Union of South Africa,72 Canada was now the only dominion which still had diplomatic relations with Vichy. As a result of the constitution of the Laval government, criticism of this situation was becoming more and more emphatic on the part of Canadian public opinion and was even having a considerable effect in the election campaign for the plebiscite on conscription to be held next Monday.73 Mr. Mackenzie King therefore wanted me to know that he felt it was necessary in the interest of the Canadian Government to sever diplomatic relations with Vichy unless the United States were most emphatically to urge that this step should not be taken.
I said that in view of the circumstances mentioned and inasmuch as Mr. Mackenzie King had made it very clear that his own Government urgently desired to take this step, I did not feel that the Government of the United States should interpose any objection.
Mr. McCarthy expressed great relief at my statement and said he knew from his telephone conversation with Mr. Mackenzie King that the Prime Minister himself would be greatly relieved and would consequently take action before the end of this week.