740.0011 European War 1939/5258: Telegram
The Consul at Leopoldville (Mallon) to the Secretary of State
[Received 2:35 p.m.]
Colonel de Larminat, former Chief of Staff under Mittelhauser and now representative of De Gaulle for Africa arrived at Leopoldville August 20, issued a manifesto today to French Equatorial Africa denouncing Vichy Government and urged Frenchmen to join the British. His stand bitterly repudiated by the Governor General of French Equatorial Africa who is becoming increasingly anti-British.
Military mission 27 members, 3 automobiles, 9 trucks, 3 motorcycles en route from England via Capetown, 4 officers arriving August 25. Civil liaison officer from Lagos already here. The British organizing local volunteer corps.
Economic mission consisting of Lord Hailey20 and representatives of the Colonial Office and the Board of Trade due to arrive in 2 weeks.
Viewed as an effort to fortify the position of the Belgian Congo and to win French Equatorial Africa to Allied cause. The latter definitely unsuccessful so far.
- Head of British economic mission to the Belgian Congo.↩