740.0011 European War 1939/19586: Telegram

The Chargé at Tangier (Childs) to the Secretary of State

84. For Shaw.72 In accordance with urgent request of War Department to Bentley and Donovan to Eddy, Consul General Russell73 was requested several weeks ago to accord his cooperation in assisting in obtaining information desired concerning airports French Morocco and information concerning Moroccan coast line.

The airport work has been completed with one exception. The only specific complaint so far made against these activities which were bound sooner or later to attract some notice, however discreetly made, has been that of Admiral d’Harcourt against Bentley and Culbert (see Legation’s 57, February 974).

In reply to an oral inquiry transmitted to me from Russell by Vice Consul Reid75 this week concerning the attitude of the Consulate in the case of renewed complaints I stated that in my opinion this work was of great urgency, that we had to foresee the raising of possible further questions with regard to it by the French if not protests which should be dealt with as they arose with the greatest possible diplomacy.

Russell now telegraphs that “While I am not obstructing in any way I most emphatically protest against such arrangements and point out that they are certain to lead to expulsion of control officers from this zone, thus making obtaining of further information here impossible. I strongly urge reference of this whole matter to the Department as it transcends the authorization received [apparent omission] officers here to abstain from carrying out recent order temporarily until I receive reply from you. Information received from friendly members of Deuxième Bureau indicates previous work of control officers on airfields is completely tabulated and there is strong indication of rising opposition to their conduct which may well result in their arrest and expulsion. All this work may well be interpreted as espionage and in any case will circumscribe the usefulness of this office in the future.”

When the protest of d’Harcourt was made Bentley was informed by a high ranking French officer that no attention need be paid to it and when I was recently in Rabat I was assured that General Noguès while being under no illusions concerning Bentley’s excuses and his professed ignorance of the naval character of the airport at Port [Page 257] Lyautey had nevertheless made a report to Vichy counteracting d’Hareourt’s report of the incident.

The impression given both Bentley and me at Rabat from different official sources was that the French concern centered on our investigations escaping the notice of the Germans whose own control work is circumscribed by the presence with the nonofficial missions of French liaison officers.

There are of course risks to be run in this work but as I have stated to Russell when discussing your letter of December 3176 we are in a war of life and death and we cannot regard these questions in the light of the lessons we learned in the consular school of the Department. Moreover it has been impressed on Russell that his officers must naturally use the utmost discretion but it is my view that the anticipation of possible displeasure of the French should not deter us from obtaining information vital to our Government.

Repeated to Algiers, Casablanca.

Childs
  1. G. Howland Shaw, Assistant Secretary of State.
  2. H. Earle Russell, Consul General at Casablanca.
  3. Not printed.
  4. W. Stafford Reid, Vice Consul at Casablanca.
  5. Not printed.