346. Editorial Note
During his report to the National Security Council at its 356th meeting on February 27 on significant world developments affecting U.S. security, Allen Dulles raised the subject of North Africa:
“In dealing with the situation in North Africa, Mr. Allen Dulles said he would not deal with the situation in Tunisia, which was rather well known to the Council, but would concentrate instead on Morocco and the rapid deterioration of the French and the U.S. situation in that country. The Moroccans are now much excited against the French, and are getting into a state of mind comparable to that of the Tunisians. Algeria was also heating up again. We can hardly avoid asking the question as to how far Paris actually controls the actions of the French military forces in North Africa.
“Secretary Dulles commented that we are now facing in North Africa a situation comparable to that we faced a few years ago in Indochina, but more serious, inasmuch as the French are more deeply engaged and enemy forces against the French [are] also more formidable. Secretary Dulles thought the situation likely to evolve in much the same way as had the situation in Indochina. Eventually we may see a leftist government in Paris which will liquidate the Algerian affair. But unfortunately such a leftist government was likely to liquidate NATO as well. Accordingly, we may have soon to make a choice as to whether to continue to support France and Spain in Europe at the expense of losing all of Africa. The State Department needed the help of the Defense Department on this issue.”
In NSC Action No. 1867, the Council noted Allen Dulles’ presentation and Secretary of State Dulles’ statement on the serious policy implications for U.S. security posed by a possible further deterioration of relations between France and Morocco, Tunisia, and Algeria. (Memorandum of discussion, February 28; Eisenhower Library, Whitman File, NSC Records)