740.0011 European War 1939/11756: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Leahy) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 8—3:55 p.m.]
654. A friend in the Foreign Office informed us today that he just conversed with General Brecard, who dined with Weygand last evening. According to Brecard, Weygand told him that at the Cabinet of Ministers meeting yesterday he, Esteva and Brisson [Boisson] had been most firm in their statements that no action could be taken by them against the dissident colonies and that any further infiltration of Germans would seriously impair their ability to preserve the loyalty of the North African possessions. Weygand is reported to have stated at the Cabinet meeting that the prestige of the Vichy Government and even that of the Marshal had suffered greatly as a result of the policy of “collaboration” and that it was dangerously unpopular so far as North Africa was concerned.
Esteva, according to our informant, had stated that the time had come when the French Government must realize that it could not continue indefinitely with its policy of publishing communiqués which were “utterly false”. In connection with the Sfax incident, he is reported to have said that it was not astonishing that the British had bombed Italian ships in Sfax, but rather that the British had been so patient. Esteva went on to say, we are told, that three Italian destroyers called at Sfax and asked to be supplied with fuel oil; that he refused this request on the grounds of insufficiency for his own needs, whereupon the Italian destroyers remained in the harbor until an Italian oil tanker brought them the necessary fuel. These facts, he said, and not the story published by the Ministry of Information were known to the Tunisian population.
According to Brecard, the firmness of the stand taken by Weygand and his two colleagues made an impression in the Cabinet meeting and Weygand received indications that until next November there would be no change in the status of the North African Empire, that no reconquest of the dissident colonies would be undertaken until then, and that there would be no further German infiltration. In November, further decisions would be taken in the light of the evolution of events.
We also had a conversation today with the person mentioned in Algiers telegram of May 17, 11 a.m., to the Embassy,3 who is known to Murphy. He had had a long talk with General Weygand before the latter left Vichy by air for Africa this morning (accompanied by Esteva and Boisson). He said that he found General Weygand comparatively [Page 371] well satisfied, a feeling which he in no way shared. The meeting yesterday had, our informant said, in no way changed the orientation of the policy of the Vichy Government. It was true, he said, that General Weygand had enjoyed a personal success but Darlan’s determination to collaborate to the fullest extent possible with Germany had in no way been altered. The only result, in his opinion, of the firm stand taken by Weygand, Esteva and Boisson would possibly be some temporary slowing down of German penetration into the North African Empire. The Germans would, however, continue their pressure and the present Government would willingly “collaborate”.
Repeated to Algiers, Tangier and Casablanca.
- Not found in Department files.↩