740.0011 European War 1939/7035: Telegram
The Consul General at Algiers (Cole) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 8—9:29 p.m.]
183. My confidential telegram No. 167, November 18; the Department’s confidential telegram of November 13, 91. A Secretary of Embassy attached as an aide to General Weygand has just delivered a note verbale in reply to my communication of November 18 which, carefully paraphrased to protect the code, reads as follows:
The substance of my message of November 18 was communicated to the French Government.
The French Government having approved in principle the re-establishment of economic exchanges between the United States and French Africa, the General will continue to study the needs of the region and the methods by which such exchanges may be re-established.
The French Government will make a communication direct to the American Government concerning the explanations requested by the latter (end of paraphrase).
[Page 625]The Secretary gave me to understand that the last paragraph above was in reference to the American Government’s desire for more complete information concerning the position of French African colonies.