740.00112 European War 1939/2422: Telegram

The Ambassador in France (Leahy) to the Secretary of State

366. Admiral Darlan asked me to call at his office at 10 o’clock this Sunday morning and informed me that Italy now demands the immediate delivery of 5000 tons of gasoline from Algeria, that since his promise made to me on March 3d (my 268, March 4, noon6) Germany has asked for 10,000 tons of aviation gasoline, 4,000 tons of motor oil and 15,000 tons of fuel oil from North Africa, all of which he has refused to deliver.

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He stated to me today for the first time that the agreement entered into by France “2 months ago” requires the delivery of 5000 tons gasoline from North Africa but that he will endeavor to obtain permission from Italy to deliver at Genoa the demanded 5000 tons from continental France.

He does not know whether Italy will approve of this change in source which he will propose today. Admiral Darlan is leaving Vichy for Paris for a 3-day visit.

I told Admiral Darlan that the delivery to Italy of gasoline from Africa would make serious difficulties in the assistance that the United States has planned to provide for the African colonies and that it might even make further American assistance to colonial and unoccupied continental France impossible. He understood that danger and said that the Italian demand was probably intended to make trouble for him.

I do not know whether or not Darlan is party to a plan to make trouble for Weygand in North Africa.

An Italian tanker, the Laura Corrada is en route and will arrive Algiers tomorrow to load 5000 tons of gasoline.

While we were discussing this North African gasoline matter, Rear Admiral Auphan, Chief of Merchant Marine, came into Darlan’s office with a despatch stating that the British Navy had just stopped four French merchant ships en route from Casablanca to Oran.

The timed arrival of this message may have been staged for my benefit.

Admiral Darlan said: “If those ships are seized, I will provide convoy for our merchant shipping.”

Leahy
  1. Ante, p. 231.