851A.00/49
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Secretary of State32
The French Ambassador called at my request. I said at the outset that I had nothing new to say to him more than had been said to the press the day before about the seizure by the Free French of the islands of St. Pierre and Miquelon; that I was hoping to say a few [Page 560] words to the press after the Ambassador left and that I would send him a copy of my remarks by messenger.
I then said to him that my own country, along with Canada and Great Britain, has become increasingly concerned for some time about the possibilities of the use of the wireless station on these two islands to the detriment of our and their shipping, which moves up the coast in one continuous procession almost, on its way across the North Atlantic and that they were just in the act of bringing the matter up with the officials governing these islands. I emphasized that it is very important that the French officials clear up this matter against any possibility of injury by signals to enemy vessels on the high seas; that the French Government on the islands should be only too glad to take the necessary steps to do so either by closing down this wireless station during the war, with some Canadians there as observers, or, if it is desired to operate the station, to agree to two or three Canadians and an American to be attached to our Consulate, who would exercise the necessary authority over the operation of the station to assure Great Britain, Canada and the United States against any possible injury. I said that this would not interfere at all with the sovereignty of the Government, whose sovereignty only extends to internal affairs, but would relate to the international phase of the operations of this wireless station. I then stated that it had been contemplated before the seizure this past week that the Government would be approached in a friendly manner for the purpose of entering into such a friendly agreement as I have just described.
The Ambassador said that he felt disposed to recommend earnestly to his government and to Admiral Robert, the Governor of the St. Pierre and Miquelon islands, such a settlement as would either involve shutting down the wireless station, with a Canadian guard over it, or an agreement granting sufficient authority to two or three Canadians and an American official attached to the Consulate to see that no messages or signals in the least injurious to the shipping of the British, the Canadians and the Americans could take place.
I then said to the Ambassador that the Governor of these islands has made himself personally offensive to Canada and to some of the people on the islands and that it would be desired that he be transferred to some other island and that another governor be assigned to take his place. He said he would undertake to see that this be done but would like in the same connection to have a short time in which to do it so that it might not be made a part and parcel of the transaction relating to the wireless. He stated that he would send these recommendations to his Government and to Governor Robert.
It was expressly agreed that he was to say nothing about this matter in any way when he went out of my office. I further said to him that [Page 561] I could not undertake to say whether the British and the Canadians would agree to this proposal; that I must first get it from the French Government and then approach the other governments and see whether they will agree.
- Substance of this memorandum was transmitted to the Embassy in France as telegram No. 972, December 27, 6 p.m.↩