851T.01/12⅕
Memorandum by Mr. Perry N. Jester of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs
A conference was held in the Division of Near Eastern Affairs at 11 o’clock on October 28 to consider the request of Lord Swinton at Accra, transmitted by telegram no. 346, of October 14, 6 p.m., from Colonel McBride at Monrovia, for the appointment of an “American Commissioner or Special Representative with headquarters at Accra with whom he (Lord Swinton) could consult frequently on economic and political questions, shipping matters, strategic services, purchase of war material and other similar activities connected with the joint war effort”.
Those Divisions which would be primarily concerned with the appointment of such a representative were invited to send someone to take part in the conference. The following were present: Dr. Feis, Economic Affairs; Mr. Begg, Cultural Relations; Mr. Geist and Mr. (?), Commercial Affairs; Mr. (?), Foreign Activity Correlation and Mr. Nielsen and Mr. Stephens, Defense Materials. The Division of International Communications and the Division of Commercial Policy and Agreements were unfortunately not represented. Mr. Murray8 was present and Mr. Villard9 presided. Colonel McBride, who had returned from Monrovia, was present to give an account of his talks with Lord Swinton on the subject. The conference was begun by a few explanatory remarks by Mr. Villard and the reading of a memorandum on the subject by Mr. Jester, a copy of which is attached.10
A round table discussion ensued, of which no minutes were taken but from which the following conclusions developed:
- 1.
- That it was highly desirable to have a ranking American representative in Africa to work with Lord Swinton. The territory covered by such an official should coincide with the area in which Lord Swinton concerns himself, as well as the area covered by General Fitzgerald.
- 2.
- That it would probably be more desirable to press for the [Page 41] appointment of an official as Personal Representative of the President with the rank of Ambassador.
- 3.
- That if it were necessary to accord a territorial limitation to the scope of such a representative, he might be commissioned to concern himself with the coordination of the war effort in the territory of the United Nations in Africa, but with special powers to deal with problems arising in Portuguese African territory.
- 4.
- That concurrence and support of the War Department, as the Department most vitally concerned with this appointment, should first be sought before the matter is taken up with other governmental agencies interested in operations in Africa.
- 5.
- That the details of the organization and staff which might be required by such a representative would have to be worked out by him when in the field. In general, however, it was contemplated that he would not operate as a super organizer or a control center of the activities of various government representatives, but would function more in the nature of an adjuster, a trouble shooter and a smoother-out of friction. The consular offices involved in particular would continue to operate as heretofore, reporting directly to Washington and referring only to the Personal Representative of the President such matters in which they were informed were of interest to him or such matters concerning which they desired his advice or assistance.
At no time was the fundamental appropriateness of the subject matter questioned by the members of this conference. The general attitude was one of development of ways and means for the appointment and details regarding the nature of the appointment, function, organization, and scope of control.