330/1–852: Telegram

The Consul General at Tunis ( Jernegan ) to the Department of State 2

confidential

57. Farhat Hached, SYG UGTT told me today mass of people (meaning Neo-Destour and UGTT) is determined Tunisian case must be brought before UN. Wants Tunisian Govt make official direct presentation to Security Council on grounds French repressive policy Tunisia is creating threat to peace.

Hached said PriMin Chenik still undecided but popular pressure building up and likely result in mass demonstrations if he refuses act.

Re general situation in regard future Franco-Tunisian relations Hached took dim view possibility entente in light of French note Dec 15.3 Says Tunisians will not accept mixed Commission study form of new representative Assembly nor prolongation Grand Council. If new Resident General attempts carry out policy French Govt he will meet passive and even an active resistance. If he does not follow that policy he will be removed under pressure French colony.

[Page 666]

According Hached, unless UN or other agency brings about change French policy serious incidents to be anticipated, including eventual guerrilla warfare.

Jernegan
  1. This telegram was repeated to Paris.
  2. On Oct. 31, 1951, Tunisian Prime Minister Chenik presented a note to the French Government in Paris. The note included three requests: 1) creation of an elected, representative Tunisian legislative assembly; 2) formation of an all-Tunisian cabinet; and 3) gradual replacement of all French civil servants in Tunisia with Tunisians. Paris telegram 3584, Dec. 15, 1951, reported the French Council of Ministers had approved a French Government note to be presented to Chenik that evening and gave a short summary of the points the Foreign Ministry said were in the note. (396.1/12–1551) Paris telegram 3618, Dec. 17 ( Foreign Relations, 1951, vol. v, p. 1424), transmitted a summary of the French note of Dec. 15. (651.72/12–1751) Paris despatch 1711, Dec. 29, transmitted a translation of the text of the Dec. 15 note. (751.13/12–2951) The French note said, among other things, that France was proud of the progress attained in Tunisia during the past 70 years and did not intend to depart in the future from a course which benefited the whole population of Tunisia. It informed Chenik that in January the French Government planned to constitute a mixed Franco-Tunisian commission to study plans for a representative system and expected the evolution toward representative government to continue under peaceful conditions.

    The text of the Chenik note of Oct. 31 is in L’Année politique, 1951, pp. 587–589; the French note of Dec. 15 is ibid., pp. 591–592.