740.00112 European War 1939/6313: Telegram

The Chargé in France (Thompson) to the Secretary of State

1170. The Foreign Office official10 referred to in our 1089, July 26, 5 p.m.,11 has asked us for the Department’s reaction to the proposal (which he says was not conveyed to Henry-Haye12) contained in above reference telegram. He understands that the question of North African cobalt is scheduled for discussion very soon between the French and German economic delegations and he expressed the hope that some indication of the Department’s views will be forthcoming before Barnaud13 arrives in Vichy next Friday.

He repeated his statement that there are strong indications that if the German Armistice Commission consents to the restriction of exports of North African cobalt the Germans will almost certainly insist on a “countrepart” probably in the form of considerable quantities of peanut oil and for this reason the French are anxious to avoid raising the question.

He repeated his assurance that under the French proposal North W[est] African cobalt would not be shipped in French bottoms and that under these circumstances he felt that we could bring sufficient pressure on Spain and Portugal (he suggested warnings that any [Page 352] neutral ships carrying such cargoes would be torpedoed) to prevent their vessels from transporting such cargoes.

Repeated to London.

Thompson
  1. Pierre Albert Arnal, Director of Commercial Relations, French Ministry for Foreign Affairs.
  2. Ante, p. 343.
  3. Gaston Henry-Haye, French Ambassador in the United States.
  4. Jacques Barnaud, French delegate general for Franco-German economic negotiations.