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ANNEX II.
163
TERMS FOR SURRENDER OF FRENCH SOMALILAND.
A further meeting of the Sub-Committee appointed to consider terms for the surrender of French Somaliland was held on the 1st of December 1941, at which were present:-
Major Morton.
Mr. W.H.B. Mack.
Rear Admiral W.S. Chalmers
Lt. Colonel G.M. Stewart. Mr. T.I.K. Lloyd.
Mr. J. M. Penton.
(In the Chair). Foreign Office Admiralty. War Office.
Colonial Office. Treasury.
The Committee considered the draft report circulated after the previous Meeting and, having made certain amend- ments, agreed that it should now be submitted to the Foreign Secretary.
The Committee had before them telegrams from the Commander-in-Chief, Middle East numbers 31976 Cypher 28/11, 23904 Cypher 28/11, and 31261 Cypher 26/11.
It was agreed that the instructions given to the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, East Africa by the Minister of State in telegram No. 23904 Cypher 28/11 were satisfactory, but that it was desirable for the Minister of State now to be informed that, while these instructions were approved, he should refer home before accepting a condition that we should never hand over the administration of French Somaliland to the Free French.
The Minister of State should, however, have full discretion, should it be necessary to agree only that no Free Frenchman should enter French Somaliland until. after those who wished to be repatriated had left the Colony.
The Committee invited the Foreign Office to arrange for the despatch of the necessary telegram.
The Committee also considered 1430/Z/29 from the Commander-in-Chief, East Indies. It was agreed that no information should be volunteered to any Vichy recipient about the capture of the "Surcouf". The Committee invited the Admiralty to arrange for a signal to be sent to the proper authorities emphasising the need for ensuring that there was no leakage of information about the capture.
The Treasury Representative brought to the notice of the Committee telegram No. 27/27/677 Cypher 27/11 from the General Officer Commanding in-Chief, East Africa to the Minister of State.
The Committee agreed that it would be most undesirable for any communication to be made to M. Palewski regarding our proposals for the treatment of French Somaliland before the Foreign Secretary had Spoken about them to General de Gaulle.
The Committee invited the Treasury to make this point in the telegram which they intended to send to the Minister of State.
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