772.00/4–952: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Dunn) to the Department of State1
6189. La Tournelle this afternoon informed us that FonOff had been much disappointed at failure Baccouche yesterday to constitute Cabinet and to announce Tunisian membership of mixed commission to discuss reforms. He reported that Baccouche called together designated Tunisian members of mixed commission for preparation reforms and was told by them yesterday evening they considered terms of reference insufficiently broad to enable them to take affirmative decision at once; in other words, they would have to give further consideration to question of their participation and they implied they hoped for further unspecified concessions from French side.
In view this development Baccouche informed Hauteclocque constitution Cabinet wld be delayed. When Hauteclocque remonstrated and urged importance of having functioning Tunisian Govt Baccouche promised to see if he cld make an announcement tomorrow. It has come to light in this connection, according to La Tournelle, that Bey generally only places his seal on official documents on Thursday of each week.
La Tournelle concludes from all this that “Baccouche is taking us for a ride.” La Tournelle feels Baccouche wld like to wait for SC disposition of Tunisian item before finalizing constitution Cabinet. In event SC decides to take up Tunisian item there wld presumably be no Baccouche Cabinet. Assuming, however, that SC will probably fail to act on Tunisian item, Baccouche is coming to feel, according to La Tournelle, that from point view his own position constitution Cabinet after rather than before such failure wld be preferable. Hence his delaying tactics.
- This telegram was repeated to Tunis, Tangier, Rome for Unger, and Rabat.↩