740.00112 European War 1939/3030: Telegram

The Consul General at Casablanca (Russell) to the Secretary of State

294. From Murphy. Your May 10th.43 Shortly after the resumption of the plan of economic cooperation with French North Africa, I discussed with General Weygand the preparation of a memorandum [Page 393] extending the plan to French West Africa. Subject to Department’s approval, we agreed on the following text:

“Reference is made to the memorandum of our conversation of February 26, 1941, regarding the plan of economic cooperation between the United States and French North Africa44 and to our preliminary conversation at Dakar in December 1940 on the subject of the possible extension of such a plan to French West Africa, and in May 1941, the extension of the provisions of the plan to French West Africa were discussed again and we agreed to such an extension subject of course to the approval of our respective Governments.

Accordingly, it is agreed that the conditions of the plan of economic cooperation between the United States and French North Africa as outlined in the memorandum of our conversation of February 26, 1941, now apply to French West Africa (these conditions as applied to French West Africa are modified regarding exportation of products to fit the circumstances):

(1)
excessive stocks of commodities will not be constituted;
(2)
measures will be taken to insure that the supplies from the United States and similar products will not be exported under any form outside the four territories of French Africa (Algeria, French West Africa, Morocco and Tunisia) but will be consumed in those territories;
(3)
the American Government is authorized to designate American officials for control purposes at ports and on the railways;
(4)
in the event of violation of the condition regarding exportation (section 2 above) American economic cooperation with French West Africa will terminate;
(5)
the ships engaged in the traffic between the United States and French Africa will return to their respective ports of departure.”

The foregoing has been approved by the French Government. Weygand’s services have shown me a copy of the telegraphic approval which also contains the following paragraph.

“Finally and conforming to the procedure followed in the exchange of letters regarding French North Africa, the text signed by you and Murphy at Algiers will also be the subject of an exchange of letters between Admiral Leahy and myself (Darlan). It is to the latter text only which we will refer at Wiesbaden.”

If conditions remain unchanged at the time of Weygand’s return to Algiers, does the Department desire that a memorandum embodying the foregoing text be initialed by him and myself?

Repeated to Vichy and Tangier. [Murphy.]

Russell
  1. Telegram No. 122, p. 331.
  2. See telegram No. 249, February 28, 10 a.m., from the Ambassador in France, p. 226.