740.0011 European War 1939/14542: Telegram
The Chargé at Tangier (Childs) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 30—7:10 a.m.]
296. Following repeated to Vichy, Casablanca, and Algiers:
I had a family dinner with Monick the 27th when he informed me he had received news, in the most brutal way, that morning of his recall. He added that the communiqué issued on the subject was untrue when it stated that he had been called to new and important functions; the fact was that he would return as Inspector of Finance and would probably be “buried” in some town in France.
He was not downhearted or at least affected not to be. He asked that his friends be informed that he had never varied from the conviction in an ultimate victory of the Allies. He was gratified that he had been able to do as much as he had, recalling that due to his delaying tactics the Germans had not been able to have any cobalt shipments from Morocco. He expressed deepest regret that he would be deprived of contacts with his American friends. He hoped, despite the difficulties with which he would be faced, to maintain occasional contact with Matthews in Vichy and he would continue to do what he could for the reintegration of his country and for the ultimate triumph of the ends for which we had all been working.
He added he had just forwarded a report to Vichy stressing that the continuance [of] our economic aid was a matter of life and death for French North Africa (he hoped to be able to communicate a copy [Page 424] of the report to us before leaving). The fact that he, as public enemy number one of the Germans in Morocco, had finally been ejected for his identification with the economic aid program was proof that the plan was anathema to the Germans and that it was serving American as well as French interests in North Africa. He begged me to emphasize that and to state that we should by all means continue the economic aid so long as Weygand remained in control in North Africa. He said Darlan had endeavored to have himself appointed as Chief of all French military naval and air forces but Weygand had opposed this successfully when he was last in Vichy. Weygand had asked Darlan “You mistrust then our forces” and the reply had been, yes. Darlan and Weygand were now at daggers’ ends.
Monick considers Weygand has gained greatly in moral stature and that he now commands an influence second only to Petain in North Africa as well as in France. He feels Petain is crumbling and cites his last speech as his own confession of failure.
He believes France will be faced shortly by terrible inflation which will add to existing confusion there.
We heard by radio news of the attack on Laval and Deat.75 The universal comment in Rabat on the news of their escape was “what a pity.”
Monick is leaving in about 10 days. He will see Weygand and Murphy in Algiers.
The next day I discussed Monick’s recall briefly with three of the higher officials in Rabat. Monick has been on indifferent terms with Noguès for several months (probably because Noguès considered he gave first loyalty to Weygand) and I gathered from these officials that Monick’s going was at Noguès’ request. It is my belief from the suggestions they let drop that Noguès for reasons of prudence rather than policy wished to disassociate himself from one who had been so closely identified with us and the British as Monick.
- Marcel Déat, editor of the French newspaper L’Oeuvre, under German control.↩