740.0011 European War 1939/19458: Telegram
The Consul General at Algiers (Cole) to the Secretary of State
[Received 6:50 p.m.]
91. From Murphy. Admiral Esteva, Resident General in Tunisia, asked to call on me last evening on my arrival from Casablanca. He leaves today for Vichy where he says as far as he knows he is ordered for a discussion of administrative problems. He stated his confidence that he would be returned to Tunisia. Esteva left me mystified regarding the purpose of his call which was unusual unless it were to manifest friendly sentiment and to underscore as he repeatedly did that the quantity of supplies going forward to Libya via Tunisia is not important. He insisted that no war material or munitions are being delivered and that it was preferable from our point of view for the French to make small [Page 247] deliveries of foodstuffs and incidentals rather than precipitate an occupation of Tunisia by Axis forces. He said, “You Americans understand that we are defenseless in Tunisia, the Axis forces can occupy the territory whenever they please as we do not have the means to resist them.”
Esteva said that the Tunisian situation is far less tense since the retreat of the British forces in Cyrenaica and he looks for several weeks of comparative calm. He confirms that the Axis effectives in Libya had received important reinforcements (begging that he be not quoted in that connection) stating that for a number of weeks his observers counted at least 40 transport planes a day proceeding from Sicily and estimated to carry an average of 25 persons with kit.
He said also that the Axis is able to transport important quantities of matériel and ammunition by boat from Italy at night but he insisted that Tunisian territorial waters are not used for this purpose. He attributed this facility to the weakness of the British Navy which he said had suffered heavy losses.
Esteva expressed active interest in the recent Tangier bomb incident, stating his private opinion that the whole affair was organized by the Axis.
He also urged the importance of friendly cooperation between the United States and France and the continuance of our economic support of North Africa.
He declared that during the course of his visit to Vichy as much as he would like to call on Ambassador Leahy he did not dare to do so because any contact he would have with our Embassy would be misinterpreted in hostile quarters.
Esteva said that he is pleased with the cordial relations existing between the French authorities in Tunisia and American consular representatives. He expressed appreciation of Doolittle’s intelligent cooperation.
Repeated to Vichy for repetition to Tangier. [Murphy.]