740.00118 European War 1939/866: Telegram
The Consul at Leopoldville ( Mallon ) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 17—3:48 p.m.]
Personal for Miles. Cunningham, Brazzaville, requests that the following be communicated to General Miles M. I. D. exactly as received and not paraphrased.
“Reference your December 13, 9 p.m. Request that your peremptory order be reconsidered and revoked. I know that it was issued under pressure of work and was based upon misunderstanding.
I have never expressed any opinion nor made any suggestion to any foreign representative without the prior reservation that the opinion or suggestion was a purely personal one and then only in reply to direct question in informal conversation. I never participate in official conferences.
My efforts to conform with recent State Department instructions to keep cables as brief as possible and my assumption that I am credited with normal intelligence and discretion have obviously resulted in ambiguity in my most recent cables.
The suggestion concerning Africa reported in my cable of December 12 was a purely personal one made in answer to General Sicé’s question as to what I thought were possible Hitler moves which would affect West and Equatorial Africa, and it suggested merely the issuance of a warning order to be prepared to execute promptly plans which I knew to be in existence, if and when rapidly changing conditions made such execution imperative. When asked informally for a personal opinion, to reply that I am not authorized to have an opinion or make a suggestion to representatives of national groups which are aligned with us in the common effort to defeat the common enemy, would imply either that I am an ass or that my country is in the war only half-heartedly. I admit neither implication.
[Page 585]Incidentally the colonies listed in my cable of December 12 would constitute very serious threats to American shipping if in enemy hands or the hands of tools of the enemy and my personal suggestion with regard to them was a definite contribution to our national security. Their commendation [The recommendation] concerning Martinique and Guadeloupe was addressed to you and not to any foreign representative. It was based upon my knowledge and understanding of the Free French psychology.
It must be appreciated that here in this very large and very important territory I am alone as the only military representative of a power which is recognized as the leading power in the world today and which is believed to be in the war to win the war and the peace which will follow. Also it is recognized here that thanks to my travels I know Free French Africa better than almost anybody in the territory. Consequently when I am asked a question I simply cannot refuse to answer for to do so would be to refuse to contribute what I can to the common cause.
I quote two telegrams received during the past few days: (1) From British West African Headquarters, Accra dated December 6: ‘The General Officer Commanding-in-Chief will be pleased to see Colonel Cunningham between the 15 and 31 January. He will arrange for the Colonel to tour this headquarters’. I replied at once that I would report to the General on or about January 15 and I am informed that orders have been issued to place a plane and a staff officer at my disposal to visit Sierra Leone, Gold Coast and Nigeria during the period noted. While en route here I received instructions from both State and War to visit General Giffard at his convenience and the quoted telegram informs me of the General’s convenience. (2) From Free French liaison officer Freetown dated December 13: ‘Colonel Morin arrived December 12 en route to Free French Africa and Syria, his mission being to confer Colonel Cunningham, and wishes to know if he will find Colonel Cunningham in Brazzaville about January 1’. Colonel Morin has come from General de Gaulle’s London headquarters and brings tentative lists of Free French requirements in arms and munitions. Upon receipt of the quoted telegram which requested an immediate answer I replied that I shall be in Brazzaville on January 1, confidential date of the arrival of Colonel Morin’s ship.
Also General de Gaulle has informed me several times that he will be in Brazzaville toward the end of December and wishes to see me. I have informed him that I shall be here at the time. Surely you do not wish me to cancel these three meetings which have been carefully prepared and coordinated by important persons who know what I have contributed and can continue to contribute to the common cause.
[Page 586]I enjoy the confidence of the Free French to a degree which my British colleagues envy and wish they could approach; I enjoy the confidence of Generals Giffard, Hawkins and Woolner and General Giffard’s staffs here and in Leopoldville to a similar degree. We are all in this war together and we must all work together and you surely do not wish to throw away intimate and invaluable relations which have taken 3 months of labor and much money both public and private to establish and nourish.
I informed General [Sicé,] High Commissioner, of your peremptory order (in strictest confidence) and he stated that ‘if you leave, the Free French effort here has been wasted. The effect of your departure upon the morale of officers and troops, all of whom know you, would be disastrous’. To the troops here America represents rightly or wrongly their great and only hope for armament and to them rightly or wrongly I am the present symbol of that hope. If the symbol which they know were to be removed, a very serious blow would be struck at a brave and competent force which occupies a strategically important position. In the interest of the ultimate victory of free people I request that your order be reconsidered and revoked.
Complete order of battle for Madagascar which I am now working on will go to you by next clipper. Latest order of battle for Vichy West Africa is en route to you by clipper. Latest information on Dakar will be cabled in next few days.
Tanks referred to in your December 956b are sample of lack of understanding of local Spears mission. Tanks are the things which Free French Africa has least need for and one Lockheed Lodestar or one Glenn Martin Maryland would be worth more now than a dozen tanks in this country. [Cunningham.]”
- Unnumbered telegram of December 9, 5 p.m., to the Consul at Leopoldville, not printed.↩