740.00112 European War 1939/2732: Telegram

The Ambassador in France (Leahy) to the Secretary of State

572. Reference Embassy’s telegram 511, May 6, 11 [1] a.m. The following is a translation of a further note received from the Foreign Office on May 16th with regard to the supplying of French West Africa.

“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has the honor to refer to its note of May 575a in which it informed the Embassy of the United States of the extent of the needs of French West Africa in petroleum products and indicated that it would soon send further pertinent details with [Page 337] regard to the quantities of foodstuffs and industrial products, the importation of which is indispensable to this colony within a brief delay.

In a communication which he has recently sent to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, General Weygand points out that on November 19th last, on the occasion of his conversation with the American Consul General at Algiers, he had pointed out the essential interest to French West Africa to receive prompt supplies of gasoline and pharmaceutical products.

During the Weygand–Murphy exchange of views75b the General Delegate of French Africa continually envisaged the supplying by the United States of the whole of French Africa including French West Africa.

Mr. Murphy on his side never questioned the necessity of including French West Africa in the general program of supplying French oversea territories and it seems that if up to the present he had not deemed it possible to include French West Africa in the number of French territories benefiting by American supplies it is solely because of the fact that, at the time of the conversations which took place at Tangier in February 1941 between Messrs. Murphy and Eccles, the latter informed the American diplomat that he had not received instructions from the Government at London with regard to the supplying of French West Africa. Since May 3 the Federal Government has decided in principle to authorize the supplying of American goods to French West Africa.

The French Government asked the Embassy of the United States on May 5 to point out to the Department of State all the interest which it Attachés to the decision in principle which it has recently taken. Indeed the economic situation of this colony is extremely serious at the present time. The supplying of the population is becoming more and more difficult. Rice which is the basis of the native food can no longer be sent from Indochina in sufficient quantities on account of the irregularity of maritime transportation. On the other hand wheat flour necessary for the diet of Europeans can not be furnished either by the metropolis or by Algeria. Morocco for its part finds it impossible to send the required quantities. Present stocks in French West Africa will therefore be completely exhausted by the month of June. The situation is just as critical as regards numerous other products (condensed milk, potatoes, etc.). It is extremely serious as regards pharmaceutical products.

The same shortage exists as regards manufactured articles: cotton goods used for clothes by the natives are almost completely exhausted; packing cases, wrappings, crates of every kind are lacking. In spite of the extent of present needs, the industrial equipment of French West Africa functions at a rhythm which is clearly insufficient because of the lack of cement, machinery, iron and steel. Lastly, in a country in which the security and economic activity depends principally on possibilities of communication, the railroad traffic operates on a very reduced scale because of the dearth of coal and the situation as regards stocks of gasoline, tires and spare parts has made it necessary to place restrictions which are hardly in keeping with the necessities of the life of a young country.

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Therefore problem of supplying French West Africa is as pressing as that of North Africa. Indeed this colony as well as North Africa exports the entire amount of its production but must as a counterpart import most of its foodstuffs.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will send very shortly to the Embassy of the United States a list of the urgent needs and quarterly import needs of French West Africa and is confident the Department of State will be in a position to assume as soon as possible the importation of the most necessary goods before the coming into force of the regular program of supply.”

Leahy
  1. See telegram No. 511, May 6, 1 a.m., from the Ambassador in France, p. 326.
  2. See pp. 206 ff.