740.0011 European War 1939/12119: Telegram
The Chargé in Germany (Morris) to the Secretary of State
[Received 4:30 p.m.]
2380. The following conclusions regarding the German policy towards the Syrian situation in particular and the present state of collaboration with Vichy in general are based on the information available here as well as public and private utterances and the general propaganda line taken in Berlin:
- 1.
- Apart from propagandist and moral support German aid to the French in Syria appears thus far to be confined outwardly to aerial attacks on Cyprus. Egypt, Haifa, and British naval and supply shipping along the Lebanon coast.
- 2.
- It is clear that Berlin has been putting full pressure on Vichy to offer 100% resistance in Syria as a prerequisite for further German concessions under the collaboration arrangement. At present the resistance appears satisfactory to Berlin and Vichy is being rewarded by the progressive release of prisoners and shipments of food.
- 3.
- Vichy is likewise being urged to follow a similar uncompromising policy with respect to its African colonies with the promise that France will be allowed under a German peace to continue as a major colonial power. It has been stated in the press that the terms of the Armistice have been supplemented by subsequent arrangements giving Vichy what are described as far-reaching means of defending its colonial empire by land, sea, and air.
- 4.
- As a permanent guarantee for Vichy against Italian aspirations to French territory, Germany has reluctantly bought off Mussolini by permitting Rome for the time being at least to dominate most of Yugoslavia and Greece and by promising aid in reestablishing the Italian African Empire and with possible extension of Italian influence to Egypt and the Sudan.
The German policy towards France and the French Colonial Empire appears to be following closely that of steady penetration originally pursued in the Balkans rather than of open invasion with the hope that matters will shape themselves according to the Berlin design under incessant German pressure and without precipitating an extension of military and naval operations to French North and West Africa for which Berlin may not yet have completed preparations on its usual thorough scale. Nevertheless it is obscurely suggested that when the time is regarded as ripe, Germany will make full use of Vichy territory for its military schemes under the guise of assistance to what is now described as a victim of aggression.
Repeated to Vichy.