740.00112 European War 1939/6569: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in France (Tuck)
567. Your 1310, September 7, 1 p.m., and 1242, August 25, 3 p.m. We are now prepared to accept the official assurances of the French Government that it will maintain its prohibition of the shipment in French bottoms of North African cobalt and molybdenum destined to Germany, and that under no circumstances will any such shipment be made. We accept likewise the French official undertaking not to authorize the export of North African cobalt to metropolitan France. It is felt that this undertaking should also include molybdenum shipments.
We assume that in accordance with previous discussions facilities will be granted to our control officers to ascertain from time to time whether any movement has occurred in the stocks of these minerals, and you should obtain either an official or an unofficial promise from the French on this score. At the same time you could express the hope that means may be found to let us know in some informal or unofficial manner of any shipments which might be contemplated in other than French vessels.
In return for the above, the French Government is authorized to make a shipment of a cargo of kerosene in one of its tankers from the United States to North Africa. It is understood of course that such a shipment will be utilized solely for consumption within North Africa by the civilian population and that its distribution will be supervised as in the past by our control officers.