Extracted text

OCR Page 1 of 7
THE FRENCH SITUATION AN INTERIM REPORT TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES 1. BASIS OF INFORMATION: A. Members of the French Cabinet, - particularly the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance, War, and Reconstruction. B. Industrialists, such as the heads of coal companies, banks, newspapers, automobile manufacturers, chain stores, brokers, financial and agricultural, and insurance companies. C. Diplomatic Corps. D. Naval and Military groups. E. French society, both in Paris and the province. F. French political party leaders, including pretenders to the throne. G. Small storekeepers, taximen, professional men and women. H. All sorts and conditions of people in the provinces, including farmers. 2. GENERAL IMPRESSION OF FRANCE. A. A country from the highest in the government down to the poorest peasant which is sitting back waiting for something to happen; which is living nationally on a black market; which is completely unaware of American sympathy and aid; Re which has never been informed of San Francisco, Reciprocal Trade Treaties, and Bretton Woods; which has no knowledge of American rationing and thinks all America has the same supplies as United States troops; in which the cost of living permits only the rich to really subsist; a country where the young, from the best to the lowest families live and thrive on the Black Market; 3 country with such an inferiority complex that frank discussion is difficult if not impossible; a country convinced that the United States and Russiá will have to fight