851.30/177: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State
[Received July 1—7 p.m.]
3667. With the fate of Alexandria hanging in the balance the question of what to do with the eight Vichy warships now at that port has naturally come to the fore. As the Department is aware, under a gentleman’s agreement of July 1940 between Admiral Cunningham15 and Admiral Godefroy16 the ships were rendered unfit for combat through removal of breech blocks, et cetera, and the British undertook not to utilize them in the war. Now Admiral Godefroy is suggesting that it would be well to let them sail either to Toulon or Bizerte on the grounds that they would thus become “neutral” and would not be used against the United Nations. The British naturally feel, we are told by the Foreign Office, that Admiral Godefroy is somewhat optimistic in this assumption and that his proposal is clearly unsatisfactory. They are contemplating two other alternatives: (1) To remove the ships through the Suez Canal to Aden or other British territory (we understand they are able to proceed slowly under their own power) or (2) to request Godefroy to scuttle them. In case Godefroy refuses the latter suggestion, the British might be compelled to undertake the scuttling of the vessels themselves.