Evening star., 1941-12-26
Hull Hopeful
|0f Accord on
Seized Islands
Secretary Seeks
Plan Thut Will
Satisfy All Parties

Secretary of State Hull hopes an
adjustment of the status of St.
Pierre and MiQuelon can be worked
out that will satisfy both Vichy and
the Free French forces, which have
seized the islands and at the same
time make sure the islands are not
used for activities benefitting the
Axis, 1t was learned today.
Mr.. Hull is expected to confer to-
day and tomorrow with British. Ca
madam and possibly Free French
representatives In an effort to work
out some arrangement that would
avert the threat of serious contro-
versy over st. Pierre and Miquelon,
the French fishing islands of the
coast of Newfoundland.
The Secretary was to talk this
afternoon with Prime Minister w. l..
Mackenzie King of Canada, who is
here TO join President Roosevelt and
British Prime Minister Churchill In
the anti-AXis council of war.
Aid to Axis Charged.
Seizure of the islands wednesday
came in the midst of Allied discus
sions looking toward some arrange
ment to make sure that messages
going out from the ST. Pierre radio
would not give valuable information
to the enemy it was disclosed.
(Free French headquarters in
London charged that it was
common knowledge that the
radio at ST. Pierre. when it was
under Vichy domination, was
broadcasting meteorological in
formation useful to the enemy.~
In St. Pierre, the Free French |
News Service announced that the
islands were occupied under q for
nal order by Gen Charles de Gaulle, |
Free French leader, and that the
diplomatic question" arising would
be discussed between him and the
interested governments"
Disclosure OF the Free French
move left a particularly difficult
problem for this Government, which
had engineered an agreement FOR
of neutral status quo
of all French possessions in this
hemisphere.
Henry -Haye Sees Hull.
French Ambassador CASTOR Hen
ry-Haye, who conferred today with
Secretary Hull on the situation, told
reporters he was afraid" that II
the Free French forces were per-
fo in, n nnntrnl nf Sf
Pierre and Miquelon it would have
a bad effect on relations between
the United States and Vichy.
These relations have shown some
improvement recently, strengthen
ing hope that the Vichy government
might hold out against German de-
mands for closer collaboration that
might involve Axis use of the French
feet. It was feared that Vichy might
be driven into such collaboration II
the Free French seizure of st. Pierre
and MiQuelon was permitted to
stand.
1t was learned today that the ac-
tivities of the wireless station on
the islands have been causing serious
concern to this Government, Britain
and Canada in view of proximity
of the islands to shipping lanes
along the coast and to and from
Europe.
Concerned about what information
might be sent from the wireless
station in code or otherwise, repre-
sentatives of these governments had
begun consideration of some move
to establish a check over the sta
ton
Hull Hopes to Satisfy All.
1t had been suggested that ne
gotiations with officials controlling
the islands be undertaken to work
out a friendly arrangement for eX-
pert observers to be given facilities
that would enable them to make Ger
tain on behalf of the Allied gov
ernments that no dangerous mes
sages were permitted to go out.
This project was upset by the
sudden Free French move seizing
the islands.
1t was expected that Free French
representatives might be brought
into the conversations in view of the
fact that, although the United States
has no formal diplomatic relations
with the Free French group, 1t has
been on friendly terms with it.
Ambassador Henry-Haye dismissed
as childish" reports that st. Pierre
and Miquelon had been used for
sending wireless messages to Axis
(See ISLANDS, Page A-6D