THE PRESIDENT
COPY
 
     PRIME MINISTER
 
               ST. PIERRE MIQUELON
 
1.        On December 16th we had a telegram from the
 
Foreign Office in which, after setting out the prospects
 
of successful action in the islands, they say:
 
     "We are therefore informing the Free French
 
Headquarters that we see no objection to their
 
undertaking this operation."
 
     In the same telegram they asked me to be sure
 
that this action did not embarrass the United States
 
Government and to give time for this said that they
 
were asking de Gauiie to postpone the issue of. orders
 
for 36 hours.
 
 2.  The matter was put to the State Department the
 
same day who referred it to the President, who said
 
that he was strongly opposed to the suggested action.
 
3.   On the 17th December, the Foreign Office
 
telegraphed to say that the President's view had been
 
reported to de Gaulle who agreed that the proposed action 
 
should not now be undertaken.
 
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