740.0011 European War 1939/23904: Telegram
The Chargé in France (Tuck) to the Secretary of State
[Received 11:18 p.m.]
1284. Our 1272, August 30, 1 p.m.88 The person mentioned in our 1259, August 27, 2 p.m.88 (who gave us the first information about the Dakar negotiation) confirms the fact that Laval accompanied by Rochat, Guérard89 and Auphan90 met “high German officials” at Nevers on August 27 to discuss “the question of the defense of French West Africa and merchant tonnage”.
In strictest confidence our informant tells us that as the counterpart for permitting the French to reinforce Dakar in munitions and guns the Germans are insisting on the right to send “a military observer or German commission of some kind to Dakar to satisfy themselves as to the measures the French are taking”. He went on to say that at the meeting the Germans offered to conclude a Franco-German defense agreement for the defense of French North and West Africa. While Laval was favorably disposed, Admiral Auphan who attended the meeting took the stand that such a pact exposed France to the danger of inviting an Anglo-Saxon action against Africa (Auphan is reported to have threatened to resign should such an agreement be made). Therefore, Laval, according to our informant, has for the moment put aside the idea of such a joint defensive pact but our contact “believes that he has agreed to the sending of some sort of a German observer or German Control Commission to Dakar”.
[Page 195]The second question discussed at the meeting was the question of merchant tonnage. In this connection the Germans demanded that the French turn over a total of 200,000 tons of shipping.
This was to consist of ships of countries of [at] war with Germany interned in French ports (i. e. Yugoslavian, Danish, Dutch, et cetera,) and the balance to be made up of French shipping particularly tankers. Our informant stated that there are only about 70,000 tons of shipping belonging to countries at war interned in French ports so that to meet the demand the French would have to turn over 130,000 tons. In this case also Admiral Auphan took a strong stand against the delivery of French tonnage and while our informant believes that Laval will agree to turn over the 70,000 tons of shipping which belongs to countries at war with Germany if the Germans are not too insistent, he thinks that—for the time being at least—French vessels may not be delivered to Germany.
Our informant also confirms the fact that “Boisson91 sent his resignation to the Marshal by the intermediary of a general but that the Marshal refused to accept it and requested Boisson to remain at Dakar”.