772.00/12–2954: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Dillon) to the Department of State1
2739. Protectorates Ministry (Basdevant) tells us Mendes met with French negotiators this morning to review major issues on which agreement not yet reached with Tunisians. Assuming favorable vote today on Paris accords, Mendes expects be able give major attention to Tunisian negotiations and is scheduled to meet with Tunisian Ministers tomorrow in effort to find solution to these outstanding issues. So far there has been no “given” Tunisian side and in fact, Tunisian position has hardened in last weeks. On French side, Assembly North African debate on December 10 presages rough going when Tunisian conventions come before Assembly for ratification, and thus Mendes finds himself circumscribed in making further concessions. Hence, outcome these stepped-up negotiations difficult to predict.
[Page 901]According Basdevant, following are principal issues to be settled:
- 1.
- Arrangements governing stationing of French forces in Tunisia to carry out defense responsibilities.
- 2.
- Responsibility for internal security. (French prepared transfer responsibility for police functions to Tunisians by steps, with fixed time limits. Tunisians want assume immediate responsibility. Both agree that Director of Security and certain number of high-ranking security officials should be French. French believe Tunisians will also agree that intelligence organization—Direction de la Surveillance du Territoire—should remain under French control as it is linked to French defense responsibilities.)
- 3.
- French participation in Tunisian non-political institutions. (Tunisians have agreed to French participation in municipal councils but want French councillors designated by Bey. whereas French want them elected. Tunisians have objected to French participation in Tunisian Assembly dealing with economic matters even though French agreeable that such a body have only advisory powers. French still hopeful Tunisians will give way here.)
- 4.
- Jurisdiction over French in Tunisia. We gather that police issue is one giving French Government most concern. It has been given so much attention by French Parliamentarians and by prominent Tunisians that it will be difficult to find politically acceptable solution.
New problem may arise over Tunisian ratification of conventions since UGTT Secretary General Bensalah has questioned Bey’s authority to ratify. Basdevant indicates that in French view there can be no question of Bey’s authority and that French would not view favorably any proposal to submit conventions to a Tunisian Assembly for ratification. This could only lead to demagoguery and delay.
- This telegram was repeated to Tunis, Algiers, Rabat, Casablanca, Rome, Malta, and Tripoli.↩