851.5018/86: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Leahy) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 24—10:25 a.m.]
218. Embassy’s 169, February 7, 3 p.m.,25 and previous correspondence concerning the question of food supplies for unoccupied France. A note and accompanying memorandum, totalling 15 pages, [Page 115] was delivered to the Embassy last night by the Foreign Office with a request that it be telegraphed in full summary to the Department.
The introductory paragraphs of the note stress the Ministry’s desire to give our Government the most accurate data concerning the wheat situation in the unoccupied zone at the beginning of February, statistics concerning which are contained in this latest memorandum. The Ministry then reviews the beginning of negotiations between the French and British at Madrid and their interruption owing to the desire of the British Government to “transfer the place of discussion elsewhere.” It goes on to say that the French Government informed Sir Samuel Hoare that under the circumstances it “would be disposed to continue the negotiation with the (American) Federal Government through the Embassy of the United States at Vichy if, as the French Government hoped, the Department of State would agree to intervene with the authorities of the British blockade in favor of the French requests.[”] In order to facilitate and simplify the conversations these requests have been limited to the free passage of American grain destined exclusively for the unoccupied zone. Furthermore, in order to avoid in the mind of the British Government any suspicion that grain imported from America into the free zone could serve to build up in that zone stocks which might permit replacement traffic to the profit of the occupying power, the French Government is willing to limit for the month of March the importation of grain to a maximum of 400,000 quintals. The utilization made in the free zone of this first tonnage will be controlled by American agents who can thus make certain of the exclusively French destination in the free zone of shipments of grain from America.
The negotiations in Madrid being thus suspended Monsieur Henry-Haye had on February 19 an exchange of views with Mr. Sumner Welles25a concerning the free passage of American grain for the unoccupied zone. Mr. Sumner Welles clearly indicated to the French Ambassador that a distinction is made by the Federal Government between the occupied zone and the unoccupied zone and that negotiations are in progress between the Washington Government and the British authorities on the basis of the requests presented by the French Government for grain.
Monsieur Henry-Haye has transmitted to the Under Secretary of State a memorandum recalling the extent of French needs and the very alarming situation with respect to wheat supplies in the unoccupied zone.
The Ambassador has suggested the immediate shipment to Marseille, pending the conclusion of the agreement, of two ships loaded with grains. The ships in question would be the Leopold L. D. and the [Page 116] Ile de Re and at present available at New York. These two ships would be loaded with 10,000 tons of wheat and 3,400 tons of corn, the distribution of which in the unoccupied zone would be carried out under American control.
Mr. Sumner Welles indicated to the French Ambassador that he was going to submit this request to President Roosevelt and to Lord Halifax in order that a prompt decision may be reached with respect to this operation which would constitute a “first test” and that if successful it would serve to facilitate subsequent imports. Mr. Sumner Welles indicated to M. Henry-Haye that he would support the request without reservation with Lord Halifax.
“The French Government has the honor to inform the Embassy of the United States that the suggestion of M. Henry-Haye has its agreement and that in view of the vital interest which it attaches to the successful outcome of this suggestion, it would be very appreciative if the Embassy would support it near the Federal Government. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs”, the note concludes, “strongly hopes that the Federal Government will find it possible to adopt, with respect to the free passage of the aforesaid two ships, the same attitude that it has been willing to take with respect to the free passage of the French tankers loaded with supplies for Morocco, that is to say, that it will make known to the British Government ‘the interest which the American Government attaches to the arrival of these shipments at their destination’.”
The accompanying memorandum contains a very detailed statement designed to show that the irreducible minimum of American wheat imports necessary to carry the unoccupied zone over to the next crop is 4,900,000 quintals.
[Here follows detailed statement on wheat supplies and needs.]