740.0011 European War 1939/16895: Telegram
The Consul General at Casablanca ( Russell ) to the Secretary of State
[Received 8:24 p.m.]
651. Vice Consul King reports from a police contact that the police, Sûreté and Service des Renseignements at Rabat have received orders to reinstate repressive measures against German agents and extra Armistice Commission activities. Same contact reports that the forcing out of Weygand seems to have bolstered up the French morale and determination to resist all over North Africa; that the opinion is growing here, even among those who were favoring a strict blockade by the British a few weeks ago, that from the American point of view it would be fatal to stop the economic plan just when the North African spirit of resistance was beginning to crystallize.
General Juin has left for Algiers and Tunis. It is reported from another source although not yet substantiated that General Bethouard36 has told his officers that if Juin would not resist German invasion others would be found who would. At the moment there seems to be a certain swing back in favor of Juin as the belief seems to be that he would not keep his parole if the Germans invaded North Africa. The same officer group feel that Noguès should remain as Resident General because he can be relied upon to resist German efforts to encroach on this territory.
With reference to my 642, November 23 [22], 11 [10] a.m.37 this contingent apparently was a substitute one for men called back to active service as the total actual number of the Commission has diminished rather than increased, the total number in Morocco now being 185 (see my 646, November 25, 1 p.m.37).
Repeated to Vichy, Algiers, and Tangier.