740.0011 European War 1939/6285: Telegram
The Diplomatic Agent and Consul General at Tangier (White) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 28—3:45 p.m.]
39. Referring to your [my] cablegram 38, October 27, 10 a.m. [p.m.],77 the British Ambassador in Spain has requested my British colleague here to transmit to Marshal [General] Weygand at Algiers a message from Winston Churchill, not for the scrutiny of the Government of Vichy. This expressed determination to continue the war and a desire to reach an understanding with France whose [apparent omission] Great Britain had no disposition to sacrifice.
As the representatives of British Foreign Office have been expelled from French North Africa and the post is not to be trusted, the British Minister asked me whether I could help to establish contact with the Marshal [General], I replied that (first) I should have to consult the Department; (second) I cannot communicate with the American Consul at Algiers in cipher.
The Minister had a secret agent to carry this particular missive, but he now anticipates other messages for which he has no other suitable emissaries, he has therefore asked me to get permission to assist him.
Should the Department not object thereto I suppose that desired assistance might take the form of finding a suitable emissary in the French Zone or I might seek out Weygand myself. Again if Weygand [Page 606] proved either highly receptive or absolutely cold to Churchill’s first advances my aid might not be needed. Possibly restrictions on our code telegrams with Algiers may be now relaxed, which should facilitate matters.
In the event of your being willing to leave the decision to me, I might respectfully suggest that for the sake of the record you merely authorize me to proceed to Algeria and Tunis to investigate desirability of establishing a North African courier service as indicated in the Department’s August [October] 10, 6 p.m.78 No answer to my written inquiries in that respect has so far been received from the Consulates in the above-mentioned countries.