740.00112 European War 1939/2663: Telegram

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

511. Department’s telegram 379, May 1, 10 p.m. The Embassy has now received a note from the Foreign Office with reference to the question of supplying French West Africa, the pertinent portion of which reads as follows in translation:

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has the honor to request the Embassy of the United States:

(1)
To express to the Department of State the interest which the French Government Attachés to the decision in principle of the American Government, and
(2)
To indicate that the two conditions upon which the supplying of French West Africa is contingent are acceptable, that is to say (a) control of imports by the Consul General of the United States, and (b) return of the ships to their port of departure.

The French Government intends to prepare for sailing from an American port which shall be designated by the Department of State a tanker from Martinique with a view to making the first shipment from the United States to French West Africa.

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It would be desirable that this first supply of petroleum products (to be shipped on one or several tankers) be made up of the following:

1.
200,000 liters of aviation gasoline of 90–92 octane, and 2,000 liters of 100 octanes;
2.
3,000 tons of automobile gasoline;
3.
5,000 tons of gas oil;
4.
13,000 tons of fuel oil.

The foregoing quantities represent one month’s consumption for the civilian population and for the merchant marine for each category of petroleum products at present restricted rationing rates in French West Africa.

The stocks of gas oil and fuel oil of that colony are nearly exhausted.

If this situation should be continued French West Africa could no longer carry on any foreign trade. Furthermore, lack of gasoline at the present time is dangerously isolating the European elements.

In view of the foregoing indications the Minister of Foreign Affairs desires to call the attention of the Embassy to its extreme interest in having the Federal Government give at the earliest possible moment a favorable opinion to the loading of a tanker for French West Africa which could be sent from Martinique to the United States.

The pertinent services of the French Government are preparing, in agreement with General Weygand, a list in order of priority of other food and industrial products indispensable to the supplying of French West Africa.”

Leahy