740.00113 European War 1939/938: Airgram
The North African Economic Board 62 to the Combined Committee for French North and West African Civil Affairs 63 and to the Secretary of the Treasury ( Morgenthau )64
[Received June 19.]
Subject: Property Changes under German Rule—Tunisia
BOC A–60. 1. Tunis, as the first sizeable city recaptured from Nazi occupation, offers a realistic indication of the problems which will arise in the return of property and the indemnification of discriminated groups who have suffered at Nazi hands. Our preliminary study of this matter, presented herewith, is based primarily on the treatment accorded to Jewish people in Tunis and was gleaned from conferences with the heads of Jewish groups and other persons in Tunis. Exact figures are not available at present.
2. There are about 90,000 Jews in Tunisia as a whole. About 80,000 are descendants of people who have been in the country 2,000 years. They are not subjects of the French, but of the Bey. There are about 5,000–6,000 Italian Jews, sent to Tunisia as colonists about 150–200 years ago, who have remained subjects of Italy. Lastly, there are about 5,000 Jews who are French subjects.
3. Shortly after the arrival of the Germans in Tunisia on about 8 November, 1942, the Nazis commenced to requisition buildings of the Jews for use as offices and dwelling houses. A typical case is the following: A middle class Jewish family in Tunis was notified one evening in early December that they would have to evacuate their apartment the next morning, since it was to be taken over by Italian officers as a residence. The family, more fortunate than many, packed up most of its belongings during the night and moved out the next morning. After 8 May with the departure of the Italians, the family returned. In many cases in which houses were requisitioned for use by the Germans or Italians, damage was done to fixtures and furniture. [Page 281] Rugs, hangings, furniture, etc. were taken. The Nazis also requisitioned the vehicles owned by Jewish people and obliged them to turn in their radios, refrigerators, firearms, etc. Many of these requisitioned vehicles were damaged and some were sent to Europe. Most of the radios, refrigerators, etc. were sent to Europe. The total cost of this phase of Nazi oppression was estimated at about 30,000,000 francs. While some of the requisitioned vehicles have been found and returned, there is, as yet, no program developed for compensation for losses incurred as the result of this type of activity.
4. On 6 December, 1942, the Council of the Jewish community in Tunis received an order from the German authorities to produce 2,000 workers, under an arrangement whereby food, clothing, wages, etc. were to be paid for by the Jews. At the cost of an additional 1,000 laborers a 24-hour extension was obtained. On 9 December, 1942, the request not having been complied with, a reign of terror commenced, in which synagogues and schools were broken into, Jews beaten and threatened, and obliged to march long distances. At this point the Jewish Community organized itself and set up services for drafting laborers, feeding, clothing and paying them, as well as supplying them with transportation and medical aid. About 4,000 workers were obtained, and put at work at the airport and harbor in Tunis, at Bizerta, Mateur, Enfidaville, and Cheylus, all points of nearly constant Allied air attacks. The Jews also had to act as policemen, to insure that the workers remained at their jobs despite heavy bombings and maltreatment.
5. The Jewish Community was obliged also to shoulder the financial burden of caring for Jewish refugees who came to Tunis from Bizerta and similarly destroyed cities as well as those who lost their homes by other means.
6. The funds to meet the expenses referred to above including the costs of feeding and care for the labor gangs were obtained by the Jewish Community by imposing a capital levy of 10–15% upon the property of its members. Mortgages, sales, etc. were resorted to to raise these funds, which were estimated at 60,000,000 francs. At the present time, these mortgages are still outstanding, and in the hands of banks principally.
7. On 22 December 1942, the Germans imposed a levy of 20,000,000 francs on the Jewish Community to “pay” for the Anglo-American bombings of non-Jewish property, for which the Jews were said to be responsible because they were friends of the Allies. The head of the Jewish Community endeavored, without success, to raise these funds at the private banks in Tunis, and was obliged to appeal to the Government for aid. The latter authorized the Caisse Fonciere, a semi-public institution, to advance these funds in the form of a loan at 8% interest, with commissions and carrying charges running it up to about [Page 282] 12%. The loan was secured by mortgages on Jewish estates, those in the country being insisted upon because there was less danger from bombing. The Caisse Fonciere received the funds from the Bank of Algeria, Tunis Branch, and we have been advised that payment was made in Bank of France notes. It was said that these Bank of France notes were subsequently distributed among the Arab and Italian followers of the Nazis. The former head of the Jewish Community has recently approached the Government in Tunisia with a view toward adjusting or deferring the payment of this loan which the Jews are not in a position to meet at present. The Caisse Fonciere threatened foreclosure and a 6 months interest payment of 1,500,000 francs is due. At first the Government was said to have advised the head of the Jewish Community to repay the loan, with interest, and to place a claim against the Germans after the war. The latest indications were that the French authorities had not yet reached a definite decision of the question but were thinking in terms of a moratorium.
8. On 15 February, 1943, the Germans, because many of the forced Jewish laborers were leaving the work camps, imposed a fine of 3,000,000 francs on the Community. This fine was paid without resort to the banks, by the sale of jewels, etc. belonging to individual members of the Community.
9. On the basis of present estimates, the measures taken by the Germans and Italians against the Jews in the Tunis area, from 8 November, 1942 to 8 May, 1943 cost the latter about 100,000,000 francs. No indemnification or relief measures have yet been taken by the French, and, insofar as the bulk of the problem is concerned, none appears to be contemplated.
10. From the fact that this memorandum is confined largely to the Jews, it should not be inferred that this class stood alone in regard to discrimination. The case of the Jews is probably the most glaring, because the great majority of them could not be considered enemies of the Nazis or Italians in the technical sense. Furthermore, there appears to have been more physical hardships, and the imposition of fines seems to be an additional measure of oppression. However, vehicles, houses, factories, etc. were requisitioned from the French in Tunis. Machinery was taken away, and forced labor was at least threatened, if not in fact realized. We are canvassing this side of the picture more fully at the present.
11. Likewise, a counterpart of this story which we will canvass if [is?] the matter of increments to Italians and Arabs as the result of this discrimination. Rumors as to these matters have reached us, but it is, of course, more difficult to develop this side of the problem.
12. We are also studying the question of real property transfers made during the occupations and endeavoring to obtain as much information as possible on this score.
[Page 283]13. We should appreciate your views on the problems. In this connection, reference might be made to the United Nations Declaration on property transfers.65
- The Department was charged by President Roosevelt with responsibility for development and execution of a plan for the economic support of North Africa, subject to military exigencies, and, accordingly, the North African Economic Board (NAEB) was set up in December 1942 to carry this plan into effect. Communications from the Board (identified as BOC) for the Department and other interested agencies in Washington were transmitted through the War Department.↩
- Representing the Combined Chiefs of Staff (United States–British) in Washington. Communications from the Committee (CCNA) to the Board were identified as COB.↩
- Copy transmitted by the Department of State to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom in instruction No. 2913, July 13, 1943 (not printed).↩
- For text of declaration of January 5, 1943, see vol. i, p. 444; for further correspondence on this subject, see ibid., pp. 439 ff.↩