Anglo-French Supreme War Council - Diplomatic Activity in Parallel With The SWC

Diplomatic Activity in Parallel With The SWC

Officials from both sides endeavoured to find ways to make the English and the French view each other more favourably. The British Ambassador, Sir Eric Phipps, asked the Minister of Information (MOI) to provide the French press with details of the arrival of British forces in order to prove that Britain was resolved to contribute fully to the war effort. However, this created tensions with the War Office, which imposed censorship. As a result nothing could be revealed about the British Army and the Royal Air Force in France. This led to absurd situations, as when an American correspondent asked for the text of a leaflet which had been dropped by the Royal Air Force over Germany. The request was refused by the censors on the grounds that 'they were not allowed to disclose information which might be of value to the enemy'! In October 1939, the disparity in troop numbers became a cause for concern in France, which had mobilised 3.5 million men; yet a mere 158,000 British troops had been sent across the English Channel. The Ambassador reported to London hoping that Britain would declare emphatically that these were just an advance guard, and that reinforcements were being swiftly despatched.

The Ambassador further asked the MOI to ensure that there were more articles about France in British newspapers. The few that were published were likely to offend: 'the Englishman in France must be severe with begging children and be prepared to find the French mean and grasping'. There was a suggestion that the Marseillaise be played in cinemas after God Save the King, another that the two languages be made compulsory for pupils in each country. It was even put forward that unemployed French chefs in London should tour British schools to introduce children to French cuisine.

A more ambitious idea came from a Foreign Office official - this was to allow the two countries to operate internationally as a 'single unit' after the war. A committee was established under Lord Maurice Hankey to examine the possibilities of such a union, thus presaging the proposal made by Britain on 16 June 1940 - an attempt to prevent the French from seeking a separate armistice with Germany.