740.0011 European War 1939/6955: Telegram
The Minister in Egypt (Fish) to the Secretary of State
[Received December 1—10:55 a.m.]
320. Referring to the announcement of the appointment of General Catroux as Delegate General of General de Gaulle18 for the Balkans, the Near East and the Red Sea with headquarters at Cairo, the Legation learns from a British Embassy source that this decision was originally reached at a conference of Catroux and De Gaulle at Fort Lamy some 5 or 6 weeks ago.
According to the Embassy, General Catroux is regarded as particularly qualified in this position because of his experience in colonial administration and his specialized knowledge of the Near East and North Africa. Concerning the choice of Cairo for the General’s headquarters the following reasons were cited: (1) position with reference to French population centers in the Near East such as Istanbul and Athens; (2) as a listening post for Syria; (3) ready contact with French Equatorial Africa; (4) presence of French Legion in Egypt.
The Embassy estimates the total number of white French in Egypt at about 8,000 and says that beginning with about 20 members the Free French now number about 1,400 men who with their families would account for approximately half of the total French population here.
The Embassy added that General Catroux puts the French Minister19 here in a difficult position but that the Ambassador had approached the Prime Minister in the matter and the latter had agreed to look the other way. I may add that in talking yesterday with the French Minister I was struck by the fact that whereas he had usually preferred to be pro-British in his sentiments, on this occasion he was strongly critical of the British who he said were driving the French into the arms of the Germans.
In an interview with an American newspaper correspondent yesterday General Catroux stated that he had no hope for change of policy by the Vichy Government but that he believed recent British and Greek successes were having a favorable effect in North Africa and Syria although he did not expect any immediate developments of importance in those areas. Regarding Syria he said he thought it best to leave the situation undisturbed for the time being because the French Army there would resist any attempt to take over the country by either the [Page 487] British or the Italians. Questioned regarding Weygand20 he said that it was difficult to say exactly [where?] Weygand stood but that it was still possible that he might break with Pétain.21 This statement was confirmed by the Embassy which [indicated?] that it was known that Weygand had recently been requested to return to Vichy but had refused to do so.