740.0011 European War 1939/24248: Telegram
The Chargé at Tangier (Childs) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 15—9:37 a.m.]
399. In contrast with my visit to Rabat in June when General Noguès51 and other officials expressed great concern over an Allied landing in French Morocco the subject was not raised by anyone there on my present visit from which I have just returned. A high French military officer who was unable to see me for fear of compromising himself sent me a note in which he referred to “next year” in a manner leading me to conclude that the French military do not anticipate any Allied landing in Morocco before ’43.
I was informed by another source that the German Armistice Commission which was also very nervous over such a landing in June has become again extremely concerned over such a possibility. A very high official informed me that despite disquietude on the part of the Commission it had not supported Rabat’s requests for strengthening of French defenses in Morocco. He specifically mentioned [Page 373] a refusal to grant 200 additional tanks for which permission had been sought. My informant concluded that the Germans were not disposed to rely on French support in the event of an Allied landing and were counting on themselves taking such measures as might be available in such an event. When I asked from where he thought they would obtain their forces he suggested “across Spain” adding that the Germans would endeavor to tempt Spanish cooperation by the promise of French Morocco. He was inclined to think that the Spanish would not yield to the temptation, but did not believe they would offer any resistance to the passage of German troops.
Repeated to Madrid.
- Gen. Albert Noguès, Resident General in the French Zone of Morocco.↩