Evening star., 1940-07-22
Bu|Iitt Says French
Relations With j. ).
Remain UNCHANGED
Envoy; Roosevelt Guest
At Hyde Pork, Begins
Report on Conquest
BY the Associated Press.

HYDE PARK, N. Y, July o.
Ambassador William c. BulNtt, who
is giving President Roosevelt a 1e-
port on what has happened to
France. asserted today that the re-
lationship of the American Gov
ernment to the new Petain govern
ment was EXACTLY the same" as to
the former French regime.
He said no question of American
recognition of the government es-
tablished by Marshal Petain had
arisen because I'VE never had broken
off relations"
The diplomat, guest at the Pres
ident's home here, returned from
Europe Saturday and began his re-
port to the Chief Executive in WASH
ington last night.
Surface Just Scratched.
There's an awful lot to talk
about he told reporters. I'VE just
began to scratch the surface last
night"
Mr.. Bullitt aasserted, too, that he
had heard no mention of any pos
sibility that the United States might
recognize the French committee of
exlles formed in England after
Frances capitulation to Germany.
He said he had not discussed it with
the President.
Talking with reporters at the
temporary White House, the envoy
said Robert Murphy. American
charge d'affaires in France in his
absence, was located at Vichy, the
seat of the Petain government, with
staff of about 20.
Describing the difficulties of op-
Grating from Vichy, a resort town
with normal population of 1900,
Mr.. Bullitt said he had sent the
President three weeks ago a long
and extremely important message"
and that Mr. Roosevelt had informed
him that three sections of it never
had been delivered.
Messages Delayed or Garbled.
He said, also, that it took three
weeks for a message to reach him
in France. With only four teleg-
raphers in Vichv to handle the
communications of the entire French
government and press corps, Mr..
Bullitt said, many messages were
delayed or came through in garbled
form.
In response to a question, the Am
bassador said he had not discussed
the question of whether he would
return soon to his duties in France.
Mr.. Bullitt said he could not un-
derstand why French assets in the
United States had been frozen, but
that he assumed it was on the
same basis as in the cases of other
nations occupied by Germany and
would not affect Franco American
relations.
He called the refugee problem
very tragic" and said 1O.5OO 900
Dutch and Belgian refugees were in
the unoccupied portion of the
country.
Mr.. Roosevelt and Mr.. Bullitt
talked for several hours at the
White House last night.
1iic clilDdSSy Sllll mas q force OF
l2O in Paris to look after American
interests and handle diplomatic
business for various other nations.
Another group is at Turin, where
the French government was tenn.
porarily situated.
President to Attend Funeral.
Before departing for Hyde Park
last night, Mr. Roosevelt received
word of the death yesterday of his
92-year-old aunt, Mrs. Dora Delano
Forbes, at Balmville, N. Y.
Mr.. Roosevelt will drive to Balm
vile this afternoon to attend the
funeral. The Presidents wife and
his mother, Mrs. Sara Delano
Roosevelt, sister of Mrs. Forbes, will
accompany him.
Barring unforeseen international
developments, Mr.. Roosevelt expect
ed to stay at Hyde Park through the
middle of the week, returning to
Washington Thursday to greet the
refugee royal family of Luxembourg