Editorial Note
Telegram 7748 from Paris, June 12, reported the Ambassador had asked that the United States be shown the program for Tunisian reform before it was discussed with the Bey. Schuman readily agreed and said that the United States would be able to see the program as soon as it was finalized, which should be after the completion of the Assembly debate on Tunisia, expected to end in the next week. Telegram 7354 to Paris, June 13, informed the Embassy the Department of State wanted an opportunity to make suggestions on the reform program before it was put into its final form. If Schuman planned merely to show the United States the text in pro forma fashion before submitting it to the Bey, the Department did not believe the question raised in telegram 7283 to Paris, supra, would be answered.
Telegram 7946 from Paris, June 19, reported the Embassy had received a copy of a statement Schuman planned to make on Tunisia that day. The statement included a general outline of the reforms planned for Tunisia, and Schuman stated in conclusion that those reforms constituted the first phase of the contemplated program. The Embassy commented that the reform program, transmitted in telegram 7968, infra, did not seem very different from the instructions sent to Hauteclocque on March 22. (For the March 22 reform program, see Paris telegram 5797, March 22, page 692.) Documentation on this topic is in Department of State file 772.00.