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RECOMMENDATIONS.

29.

We recommend that:-

(a) We should, at the appropriate moment, endeavour

to induce the French Government to despatch a secret message to their local authorities overseas urging them in advance to continue to co-operate with British forces, regardless of any possible terms to which the Government might be compelled to agree under duress.

(b) The Foreign Office should be invited at once

to inform all British Consular representatives in French territories of our policy and plans in respect of a possible French collapse. The telegrams which have already been sent to Dominion Governments and to British Missions and Liaison Officers should form a basis for these communications.

(c) With the background in (b) above, and in

addition to any communication made by the French Government in accordance with (a) above, we should ourselves immediately the French Government make terms with the enemy address a message in the following sense to the local administrations in all French Colonial and mandated territories, through our own local representatives (if possible in association with the Dutch, Belgian, Norwegian, Polish and United States Governments):

B

"We recognise that the French Government

has been compelled to capitulate under duress and against the will of the French

ople. We ourselves intend to continue the war.

France herself is in enemy occupation, but not her overseas possessions. We shall therefore do all in our power to assist these territories to defend themselves against the enemy. We count upon their continued co-operation,"

(d) We should do all in our power to persuade Turkey to declare herself a beligerent.

(e) The Ministry of Economic Warfare should

prepare plans for exerting economic pressure on those territories which refuse to co-operate, and that our own local representatives should be empowered to hold out this threat where necessary.

Attached to Minutes of C.0.S.(40) 1 th Ntg.

-8.

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