852.48/1450: Telegram
The Consul General at Algiers (Wiley) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 22—8:40 p.m.]
The following telegram has been sent [to Madrid]:
41. March 20, midnight. From Murphy. My number 40, March 20, 3 p.m. The French Admiralty has agreed to send two French ships, the Gouverneur General Lepine and the Sidibrahim, to Lagos, Portugal to embark the 1500 French refugees now in Spain and whose passage through Portugal has been approved. The two vessels, which will fly the British flag, will arrive Lagos about March 28.
Arrangements are also under way to permit the sending of two other ships the Jebe Laurez, a French vessel, and the Rangitata, a British vessel, to Lagos about April 2 to embark further contingent of approximately the same number of refugees.
The French authorities believe there are approximately 14,000 French refugees now in Spain. Please confirm this estimate.
Repeated to Lisbon and Department. [Murphy.]