740.0011 European War 1939/13880: Telegram
The Consul General at Algiers (Cole) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 12—2:55 p.m.]
398. From Murphy. General Weygand, who returned from Vichy to Algiers last evening, tells me this morning that the French African situation remains unchanged. He said “As I have told you before I do not feel that I am authorized to discuss the foreign policy of my Government with the representative of a foreign Government but [Page 412] that much I want you to know: There is no change in our situation in Africa and no concessions have been made to the Germans. It is for Marshal Pétain to decide on whatever details, if any, of the recent discussions at Vichy he may wish to disclose to your Government.”
We talked at some length of the operation of the North African economic plan. The General repeatedly expressed his gratitude to the President and the Department for their practical interest which had been and was being demonstrated and the hope that the plan could be extended to French West Africa.
General Weygand reviewed the efforts he is making to develop a strong opposition to German infiltration in area, adding that he was disturbed by the persistent effort that some elements in England continue to make in spreading unfounded stories of the presence of quantities of Germans in French Africa. He referred also to the “totally untrue stories regarding the extent of German activity and the reprehensible assertions that the French in Africa were cooperating with the Germans.[”] The General said “I don’t know what the British hope to accomplish by disseminating these stories. It seems to me that such action injures their own cause. I know it results in increased pressure on us by the Germans who are more excited than ever over the possibility of a British attack against the west coast of Africa. The British talk of Germans in Dakar and French West Africa. I can assure you that there are absolutely no Germans whatever in that area.”
Repeated to Vichy. [Murphy.]