851T.00/50: Telegram
The Consul at Dakar (Flexer) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 29—10:01 a.m.]
458. Report mentioned Department’s 113, October 24, may be thrown out. During Wasson’s incumbency11 and since my arrival Consulate has been required repeatedly to debunk such perversions which apparently reach Department from British West Africa or Free French. Latter’s agents in particular are over enthusiastic and precipitant in reporting to principals and have own personal and political ends to serve which may or may not be ours. Consulate has same reports and loses valuable time in finding them usually admittedly unsubstantiated. Such naturally are not passed on. But no intelligence agent anywhere has habit of correcting his errors or deliberately mischievous reports.
When there is “great unrest and street rioting” here a true account will be sent from Dakar. There has been neither. Evacuation has caused justifiable grousing and unconcealed resentment particularly among true colonials and functionaries whose residence in AOF12 are not for personal convenience, but majority affected are families on Government payrolls who cannot be expected to “riot” or protest against themselves and their meal tickets. Civilian element is cowed, divided and numerically a minority although their cause against repatriation has outstanding merit.
In the first heat possibly a move against Dakar, if with American participation or domination, might have found approval by local citizenry or even by military below field officer grade who were faced with family separation. Bear in mind that Circumscription of Dakar alone is affected and that parasitic Dakar is far from being AOF either economically or militarily. “When will the Americans come” or “Why don’t they come” were briefly common questions with eye to the evacuation deadline and on family rather than political loyalties.
That attitude has passed. Without the benefit of propaganda blame for the separation of families is being thrown at the United States and Britain. They say that the attack on Madagascar gave good cause for expectancy of move against AOF and excuse for these defense preparations; that our official pronouncements and publicity media confirmed such offensive designs; that the hodge-podge of military and civilian establishments made Dakar undefensible without sacrificing women and children whereas our permitting their removal [Page 408] makes it defensible; that they were deceived into accepting as pledges our pronouncements which now turn out to be radio vaporings; that with their families in Laval or Nazi-occupied France there can be no thought of espousing the United Nations; that already their past sympathies have endangered them in respect to the purge expected under military authority after families’ departures. These are the unpleasant facts.
There is a tenable view that evacuation policy is intended not only or primarily to remove encumbrances to Dakar defense but to free all mobilizables from immediate family influence and thus assure their reserve by anticipation in military effort here or elsewhere on AOF.
First repatriation convoy with Lipari, Porthoi and Savoie leaves October 28 for Marseilles via Casablanca with 1300 women and children, or half number originally planned. Estimated total over 7,000 if plan fully executed but widespread suspended when larger immobile families are moved.13
See my telegrams 399, September 28 and 406, October.14