740.51112A/11–1644
The Delegation of the Provisional Government of the French Republic to the Department of State
The Delegation of the Provisional Government of the French Republic presents its compliments to the Department of State and, with further reference to its note of today99 concerning the participation of France in the Allied action in the matter of blockade, has the honor to invite its attention to the situation of agencies and branches of French firms in Central and South America.
These French agencies and branches are at present divided into three categories:
- 1)
- Certain ones of them have signed an engagement not to maintain relations with their parent firms situated in France.
- 2)
- Others have not been able to sign such engagement and have consequently been entered on the Proclaimed List, because of their relations with firms established in occupied territory.
- 3)
- Still others have been entered on this Proclaimed List in view of their own activities or those of their managers.
It appears equitable to the French Government that the establishments of the first category mentioned above be released from their engagements without delay; that those of the second category be struck from the Proclaimed List as soon as it is possible to prove that they are under the exclusive direction of their parent firms in France; lastly, that these of the third category be struck from the Proclaimed [Page 197] List as soon as the necessary measures have been taken to eliminate the undesirable elements with which they may be associated.
This Delegation would like to know as soon as possible the sentiment of the Committee on black lists with headquarters in Washington, with respect to the points mentioned above.
- No. 670, not printed; it indicated a French desire for participation in the consideration of certain cases for inclusion in or deletion from the Proclaimed List (740.5112A/11–1644).↩