740.00112 European War 1939/2216

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Chief of the Division of Near Eastern Affairs (Villard)

Mr. Guerin25 stated that he was very much discouraged by recent developments in the British attitude toward trade between the United States and French North Africa. He said that the latest information to reach him on this subject was to the effect that the British were letting no shipments from the United States through the blockade and that their policy was more, rather than less, inflexible than before. As evidence of this, Mr. Guerin said that the British authorities had cancelled the permission they had previously granted for the shipment of a quantity of coal for the use of the Moroccan State Railways.

Mr. Guerin explained that for the last fifteen years the agricultural economy of North Africa had been practically entirely dependent on the use of tractors and motor trucks. The agricultural system in Algeria and Morocco in particular had been geared to these modern methods and it was therefore impossible to handle crops or produce without lubricating oil and gasoline. Beginning in March a crisis would be reached, since this was the season for planting, and the movement of trucks and tractors is now at a standstill owing to the lack of petroleum products.

Mr. Guerin said that he feared the most serious consequences if no steps were taken to relieve the present shortage and a collapse took place of the North African economic system. In addition to the possibilities of native unrest and exploitation of the situation by the Germans, there was a likelihood that the French Government would be forced to run the blockade with naval vessels. This would probably result in unfortunate clashes with British naval forces, which was exactly what the German Government desired.

Mr. Guerin said that his Government was prepared to give any kind of guarantees or assurances that might be desired in regard to the ultimate destination and consumption of American products imported into North Africa. He said that he was confident a satisfactory system could be worked out which would result in close control of the imported products. For example, he suggested that an unofficial American observer under the auspices of some private organization might [Page 212] be detailed to accompany each shipload of products and supervise its distribution and use in North Africa. He said the French Government would be prepared to establish any sort of control system in this respect that would be satisfactory to the American Government.

I asked Mr. Guerin whether he had been in touch recently with the British Embassy on this subject. He replied that he had discussed the matter on several occasions with Mr. Helm,26 who had indicated that the Embassy was expecting a declaration of policy from London on the question of permitting shipments from the United States to pass the blockade in the African colonies. Mr. Guerin said that the British officials here were disposed to be cooperative and that the chief difficulty lay with the Ministry of Economic Welfare [Warfare?] in London. It was his understanding that the navicerts which had been issued for the coal shipments to Morocco had been revoked on orders from London. In his opinion, therefore, the only method of approach to the problem was to deal as directly as possible with the authorities in the Ministry of Economic Welfare [Warfare?].

Mr. Guerin said that it was difficult to understand the assistance extended by Great Britain to Spain in an effort to keep that country away from the Axis when British policy in North Africa was calculated to drive the French colonies straight into the arms of the Germans. He said that the situation was growing more critical every day and that the matter of supplies was urgent. While Mr. Guerin did not make the outright request, he intimated that his Government looked to the United States Government as an intermediary in approaching the British with a view to lifting the blockade in North Africa for essential imports of American products under a satisfactory and suitable system of guarantees.

I said that we also had been in touch with the British Embassy and were awaiting the arrival of a declaration of policy from London. Until that arrived it would be impossible to make any definite statements on the subject. I said we had received a copy of a memorandum27 prepared by General Weygand’s economic experts outlining the immediate needs in North Africa and that our most recent information was to the effect that these considerations had also been laid before Ambassador Leahy by Marshal Petain and Foreign Minister Flandin. Mr. Guerin said that he was one of several voices speaking for his Government but they were all stressing the same point, namely the urgent necessity and desirability of maintaining the economic system in French North Africa.

I said that consideration was being constantly given to the matter in the Department and that if any developments should occur we would get in touch with him.

  1. Paul Guérin, representative of the French Moroccan Railways, temporarily in the United States, attached to the French Embassy.
  2. A. K. Helm, First Secretary of the British Embassy.
  3. Not printed.