740.0011 European War 1939/11611: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Leahy) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 3—1:47 p.m.]
621. Weygand arrived at Vichy unexpectedly late yesterday afternoon and was received by the Marshal immediately. It is reported that he is to have an important interview with Darlan this afternoon. While there is much mystery connected with the reasons for his making one of his rare visits to Vichy at this time it is generally understood that he was summoned by the Marshal. Reports have reached us from a number of sources in the past few days that one of the important items of Franco-German collaboration is the question of a French military effort to retake some at least of the dissident colonies in Africa. Darlan’s latest talks in Paris are alleged in various circles to have been concerned with this question; they say that German pressure to this end is strong.
Just what the Marshal’s views on the prospect of Frenchmen shooting at Frenchmen, with its probable repercussions in dividing the people of metropolitan France, are not known; the views of Weygand on this question are likewise not public knowledge here. There are also reports that Weygand is desirous of ascertaining just what the true situation is in Syria and Darlan’s plans for aid to the Axis in that area.
Monick is likewise now in Vichy and we hear that his position is not secure: In the first place his good relations with the United States have made him somewhat suspect in Vichy and in the second place [Page 361] Noguès is understood not always to see eye to eye with him on internal Moroccan problems.
Repeated to Algiers, Casablanca and Tangier.