Evening star., 1942-02-28
Further vichy Reply
To u. 5. Warnings
Is Awaited Here
Renewed Assurances
Of French Neutrality
Fail to Satisfy

Wy Tic OIllJcu SL6CcS IOudy dIIer u
personal warning from President
Roosevelt to Marshal Petain against
aiding Americas enemies brought
renewed assurances of French neu-
trality which did not completely
satisfy this Government.
French Ambassador CASTOR Henry
Haye told newspapermen, after a
conference with Acting Secretary of
State Welles last night, that he
would seek prompt information from
Vichy on the important questions"
which Mr. -Welles said needed clari-
fication before final determination
of the present crisis in French
American relations. 49,
Asked whether any break. in diplo-
matte relations between the United
States and Vichy was imminent,
the Ambassador replied:
IF the naked truth is estab-
lished, there is no reason to expect
such development"
Personal Message Sent.
Mr.. WeneS disclosed late yester-
day that President Roosevelt had
sent a personal message to Marshal
Petain, chief of the Vichy govern
ment, on February 10 in regard
to evidence that French supplies
had been shipped for the use Of
Axis forces in Libya.
The Presidents message pointed
out that il France sent war ma
terials to the Axis powers she would
be placing herself directly on the
side of this country's declared
enemies" and warned that such
action would be disastrous" to the
final destiny" of the French people.
The French replied on February
"a. Mr.. Welles said. reaffirming
Vichy's will" to maintain neutrality
and not give military aid to any
belligerent, particularly the use Of
French vessels for the purposes Of
war" beyond obligations imposed
by the 1910 French armistice with
Germany and Italy.
Text of Statement.
The text of Mr.. Welles' statement
follows:
Relations between the Govern
ment of the United States and the
French Government of Vichy have
been predicated upon the formal as
surances given to this Government
by the French government upon re-
peated occasions that the French
government in its relations with the
Axis powers will not exceed the
terms of its armistice agreements
with those powers, and in particular,
that the French government will in
no wise relinquish to those powers
any control over or use Of French
territorial possessions nor any con-
troll over nor use of the French feet.
The assurances received by the
United States Government IN this
regard likewise included the assur-
ance that the Grench government
will give no military assistance to
the Axis powers.
'On February 10 the President sent
a personal message to Marshal Pc
tain informing him that the Gov
ernment OF the United States had
been advised that supplies had been
shipped from metropolitan France
to North Africa for the use of the
Axis forces in Libya.
Frances Position Realized.
THE President made it clear that
the position Of France and the lin
itations placed upon France through
the armistice agreements which had
been signed with Germany and Italy
are fully recognized and understood
by the Government and people of
the United States.
He stated further, however, that
in the opinion of the Government
of the United States, if France were
to ship war materials or supplies
to the Axis powers and to render
assistance to these powess or to
take any action in that regard which
France was not obligated to take
under the terms of her armiStice
agreements the French government
would place itself in the category of
governments which are directly as
sisting the declared enemies of the
people of the United States.
The President further stated that
he was confident any such action
would be contrary to the wishes of
the people of France and disastrous
to their aspirations and their final
destiny.
Since that time several addi-
tional communications have been
exchanged between the two govern
ments.
French Reaffirm viii.
"On February "a the American
Ambassador in Vichy received in
writing a communication from the
French government.
In the course of this communi-
cation the French government
stated that it affirmed once again its
will to abstain from any action,
under reservation of the obligations
resulting to it from the armistice
agreements, which would not be in
conformity with the position of neu-
trality in which it had been placed
since June, 1910, and which 1t in
tended to maintain.
The French government further
stated that it would not, therefore,
lend any military aid to one Of the
belligerents in any place in the the
ater of operations, particularly the
use of French vessels for the purpose
Of war, nor all the more, adopt the
policy of assistance to the Axis pow
ers beyond the terms of the arrni-
stice acreemepts
The British government has been
Kept fully informed of the exchange
,f communications which has taken
place between the French govern
nent and the Government of the
United States.
while this statement of French
policy as above set forth is of value
n estimating the relations between
his Government and the French
at Vichy, further clarifi-
cations with regard to other impor-
ant questions are awaited by this
before IL will be en-
lbled to complete its examination of
he present situation"