651.72/8–2654
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Consul General at Tunis (Hughes)1
Participants:
- Ex-Commerce Minister Hadjoudj
- Ex-Health Minister Bouhageb
- Minister Delegate Boisseson
- Consul General Hughes
Subject:
- Outlook for Franco-Tunisian Negotiations
As a dinner guest in the home of former Minister of Commerce in the Mzali Cabinet, Dr. Mohammed Hadjoudj, I had an opportunity last night to discuss with him and Dr. Aly Bouhageb, ex-Minister of Health in the Kaak Cabinet, some aspects of the present political situation facing the Tunisians. Also present was Minister-Delegate Boisseson, now Acting Resident General.
The gist of the conversation was speculation on how rapidly and successfully the forthcoming negotiations between the French and Tunisians would progress. M. Boisseson announced the return of Resident General Latour for today noon, and said he expected him to call on the Bey at once and then begin making arrangements with Prime Minister Ben Ammar. He said that while the plenary meetings of the negotiators would be held in Tunis, the real business of setting up Tunisia’s internal autonomy would be conducted in Paris. For that reason, he thought, Habib Bourguiba would desire to remain in France [Page 892] for a while longer, and that it was better that he do so. When I inquired about the movements of two other Neo-Destour leaders, Salah Ben Youssef and Hadra, my host stated that while they were free to return to Tunisia from their voluntary exile, it would be healthier for them to await the expected general amnesty for political offenders. He thought it probable that they also would find it convenient to be in Paris during the negotiations.
Drs. Hadjoudj and Bouhageb then expressed their convictions that nothing could be foretold about either the agenda or the problems of the Franco-Tunisian negotiations until the EDC question had been resolved. They said that the entire climate of the negotiations depended upon the success or failure of the EDC. Dr. Hadjoudj explained that the attitude of the Tunisian Nationalists toward France will be conditioned by whether France determines to wreck EDC plans and thereby possibly alienating its two powerful allies, the U.S. and Britain, or whether in agreeing to some modified form of EDC, the Mendes-France Government then falls with no vote of confidence, leaving France in a politically chaotic condition.
In their view, the EDC question overrides in importance every other problem with which France is concerned, and will have a profound effect on all Europe and North Africa.
M. Boisseson was not inclined to take as serious a view of the possible failure of the EDC negotiations as did the other two. He observed that there seemed to be a better than even chance that Mendes-France would receive a vote of confidence because he believes that a compromise may be reached over EDC which will be accepted reluctantly, by the French public.
He pointed out that M. Mendes-France had achieved powerful backing and is such an able negotiator that he will be able not only to survive politically but may possibly come out of the affray stronger than before. In that event, he felt sure that the future negotiations between his country and Tunisia would have every chance of satisfying both parties. He added that one of the principal obstacles is and will be the determined opposition of the French in Tunisia, but even that problem, he said, will eventually be solved simply because as events are developing there is no reasonable alternative to the general principles on which the forthcoming negotiations will be based. Dr. Bouhageb said that while he felt there would be a long hard struggle with framing a new set of reforms for Tunisia, he believed that if the present atmosphere of cooperation can be maintained and if Habib Bourguiba can be encouraged to maintain his present attitude, the negotiations should eventually be successful and a proper base be laid for the future welfare of Tunisia.
- This memorandum was transmitted to the Department of State as an enclosure to Tunis despatch 47, Aug. 26. The despatch reported that the Tunisian Prime Minister and Minister of State had returned from Paris, where they had conferred with French political leaders regarding the forthcoming negotiations on Franco-Tunisian relations. The despatch suggested that this memorandum might throw some light on factors affecting the negotiations and their probable outcome. (651.72/8–2654)↩