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would on balance not be large.
7.
The Admiralty are at present strongly in favour of Course (o) and are supported by the Foreign Office and Colonial Office.
8.
The Committee were generally of opinion that to adopt Course (a) would be a political victory for Vichy. This seems highly undesirable when the control of Vichy by the Germans has recently been so clearly demonstrated. Moreover, the Admiralty take serious objection to Vichy retaining any sort of control over an enclave on the flank of our convoys in the Red Sea.
The adoption of either Course (a) or (b) would cause something of a crisis with the Free French at a time when we are trying to improve mutual relations with them at the special request of the First Lord supported by the Secretaries of State for Foreign Affairs, War, and Air.
9.
10. In regard to the Free French, THE COMMITTEE point out that General de Gaulle not unjustly claims that the Directive agreed upon between him and General Wavell in July, 1941 holds good, save where modified in later conversations between him and the Prime Minister and Foreign Secretary. The upshot is that, whereas the British are now free to negotiate and receive the surrender of French Somaliland without direct Free French participation, they cannot agree, without giving the Free French an opening to make a charge of breach of faith, that one of the conditions of the surrender should be to exclude the Free French from the subsequent administration of the Colony.
11.
THE COMMITTEE therefore AGREED TO RECOMMEND course even though it entail continuing to employ Allied ships and troops in blockade operations.
THE COMMITTEE then proceeded to consider
(i) what inducements could be held out to
the Vichy Governor of French Somaliland to persuade him more readily to accept Course (c);
(ii) what safeguards it would be necessary to insist upon with the Free French before
handing over any part of the administration of French Somaliland to them.
II.
TERMS OF SURRENDER.
12.
THE COMMITTEE recommend that the following points should be taken into account when considering the framing of the terms of surrender for French Somaliland under Course I (c).
(a) During preliminary negotiations, stress should be laid on the advantage ensured to such French Nationals as remain in the Colony by the lifting of the blockade, and on the subsequent benefit accruing to them through the re-opening of oilway communications with Ethiopia.
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