U.S. At War: Confusion & Consternation

The great reservoir of good will toward the U.S.—a reservoir that stretched from Occupied France to the Middle East, and on to beleaguered China—was showing signs of a lowered water level. One such sign came in a report from Algiers, from the New York Herald Tribune’s Sonia Tomara:

“The friendship of the French people toward America has suffered considerable deterioration this week as it has become known in Algiers that President Roosevelt intends to leave it to General Dwight D. Eisenhower to select the French political groups with whom to cooperate after liberation of French soil. . . .

“The greatest blame for cooling off between France and America is placed by thinking Frenchmen on Mr. Roosevelt himself. Reports have spread in French Africa of the President’s personal vindictiveness against General de Gaulle. . . .

“Members of De Gaulle’s Committee do not openly criticize the President, but delegates to the [Consultative] Assembly . . . are vocal in their indignation at what is called ‘opportunist policy’ and lack of vision and statesmanship.’ …

“Men coming to Algiers directly from France assure me that these reports are bound to spread consternation and confusion in France and make people wonder what Allied plans regarding Europe can be.”

The New York Times’s Harold Callender added: “. . . The French know we are not going to deal with Vichy, but also we are not disposed to deal with General de Gaulle. . . . We shall liberate France—but after that what? Over the political aspects of our policy hangs a huge question mark.”