The British authorities have received the
following information from a good Bource who visited
Marshal Fetain towards the end of *pril.
The larshal was in good health but greatly
discouraged by his inability to control Admiral Darlan.
Peeling that he was no longer master in his own house
the Marshal was thinking of moving to North Africa.
He had no particular date in mind for the »iove; it
was a question of choosing the right moment.
It was not a question of the marshal
retiring to North Africa in a state of exhaustion.
Quite the contrary.   The Marshal was still obsessed
with the idea of power.    Realising that hope of
reasonable treatment at Germany's hands had been
proved completely false and feeling unable to remove
Darlan as he had removed haval, there woe nothing left
for him but to go to Africa and carry on there. It
was apparently contemplated that a number of loyal
supporters would accompany the marshal, who would make
his departure a national issue.
The Marshal would apparently endeavour to
take the French fleet with him but it was doubtful
whether some of the officers would not prefer to obey
orders given by Darlan.   The crews would probably
side with the Marshal.
The source of the foregoing information
emphasised how important it was that no hint of the
Marshal's intentions should leak out.
Although the foregoing information has
reached the British authorities from a reliable source
they/
PRHM:DH
they do not set any high hopes on whet may have been
some remarks "by the Marshal Indicative only of a
passing mood.   Nevertheless they think It would be
useful to place the State Department In possession of
this report,   iiith this Information in mind the
United States Ambassador at Vichy might find it
possible to lead one of his conversations with the
marshal to the possibility of the latter going to
North Africa and might be able to encourage the
Marshal to carry the idea into effect.    J-ossibly the
Amboi sador could take the line that it was unaerstandabl
that the marshal should remain in France in order to
test the Germans and see whether they treated France
with honour in accordance with the Armistice. Now,
however, it had been proved that honourable collaboration
with Oermany which woulu result in relieving the
sufferings of the French population and in particular
prisoners of war, was quite Illusory.   Must not the
varshal therefore consider the possible alternative
of leaving for North Africa with the French fleet,
so helping to bring the war to a successful conclusion
at an earlier date than would be possible if he
remained at Vichy exposed to German insults and to
Darlan's intrigues and the barren consequences of
Darlan's extended policy of collaboration with
Germany•
v.ay 7th, 1941