740.00112 European War 1939/2085: Telegram
The Minister in Portugal (Pell) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 16—3:33 p.m.]
16. For the Under Secretary from Murphy. At Rabat, General Weygand and Monick spoke to me about the forthcoming visit to Lisbon of two French representatives, Marchal28 and Marjolin,29 who plan to meet here with Eccles,30 representing Sir Frederick Leith-Ross,31 for a discussion of the blockade question as it relates to French Africa. The French intend to present to the British a detailed plan of French Africa’s economic situation with a description of what they would like urgently to receive from the United States, Great Britain and Portugal.
I saw Marchal and Marjolin both at Rabat and Tangier on the way to Madrid. They were proceeding there on the pretext of a periodical discussion of the Franco-Spanish clearing agreement in order to throw the Germans off the scent. They hope that their meeting with Eccles can be kept secret.
Weygand and Monick suggested that you might want to have me remain here for several days for the purpose of listening in on these conversations (without of course making anything in the nature of a commitment) in order that they might be accurately reported to the Department thus avoiding any misunderstanding on our part of the position taken by the two parties. Please instruct by telegraph. [Murphy.]