740.0011 European War 1939/11700: Telegram
The Chargé at Tangier (Childs) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 5—9:20 a.m.]
193. The French Protectorate official95 referred to in my 192, June 4, 11 a.m.,96 has recently returned from Vichy where he heard of offers made by the Germans of economic assistance both for metropolitan [Page 365] France and French North Africa. He stated that synthetic gasoline in particular had been offered but at a price of between 12 and 15 francs the liter. Other products mentioned in particular were tin, apparently available from stocks in occupied France and pharmaceutical products. It was expected that any deal involving tin for North Africa would require the turning over to Germany in exchange of tinned fish products from Morocco. Another product mentioned was sugar which the Germans are said to be purchasing wherever it can be found.
My informant was told by an officer of the St. Louis refinery in Marseille whom he met while traveling that the Germans have some 2,800,000 metric tons of sugar in reserve or sufficient stocks for 4 years.
The proportion of freight shipments arriving at Marseille diverted to occupied France was estimated at 45%.
In reply to questions the Protectorate official stated that the German offers had been so far rather vague. He set forth the point of view reported in my 18797 that in the absence of American economic aid for French North Africa this area would be compelled to resort to German economic collaboration however distasteful this might be. He was under no illusions that the Germans were not using their tentative offers of supplies as political weapons. In discussing French policy he stressed that when men were hungry they did not think of principles. He added that he had been informed by his friends in Vichy when there that the Marshal had definitely put the brake last week on Darlan’s policy of collaboration. This was disclosed in great confidence.
Repeated to Vichy and Algiers.