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ANNEX I.
CYPHER TELEGRAM dated 5th October, 1940.
From Governor of Nigeria to Colonial Office.
99
IMMEDIATE.
FRACO No.1337 MOST SECRET
*
Your telegram No.1263. Following for
Chiefs of Staff from General de Gaulle begins. General de Gaulle has noted the proposals of the British Chiefs of Staff concerning the organization of a War Inter Allied Command in Central and West Africa.
General de Gaulle will give a detailed reply after having been able to see personally in F.E.A. the value and abilities of officers,
Henceforward General de Gaulle approves
in principle the proposals of the Chiefs of Staff subject to the following provisos.
(1)
The French troops would be placed under orders of a French Commander-in-Chief who would receive orders for Common military operations from Common
Commander-in-Chief.
(2) This subordination would only be effective
for operations against Common enemy, Germans, Italians and eventually Spanish and Portuguese. For any police operations which the Free French Forces might have to carry out against the Vichy forces, there would be no question of subordinating the French Command to the British Command. Such subordination would in fact give rise to a risk of serious difficulties of a political and moral nature.
(3)
In any case, it would be necessary that Inter Allied Commander-in-Chief should be personally accepted by de Gaulle.
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