285. Telegram From the Department of State to the Embassy in Tunisia1
325. For Ambassador from Secretary. Deliver following message to Bourguiba from me:
“I am gratified that the US willingness to deliver defensive arms to Tunisia has now borne fruit in a way which I think provides an important advantage for your Government. The delivery by the French of arms to you without conditions other than those which you and we had agreed on, namely, that they would be used only for defensive purposes and not transferred elsewhere, is an important step in the right direction. In the light of this delivery which we understand will be made today in replacement of the initial deliveries planned by the UK and ourselves we are ourselves suspending the delivery which the French delivery replaces.
We understand of course that this initial operation does not actually solve your arms problem. And of course our agreement to supply arms stands and we will respond under it in the event that satisfactory arrangements are not made elsewhere.
We continue to believe, as I think you believe, that the future of Tunisia lies in association with the West, including close ties with France on a basis of sovereign equality.”
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 772.56/11–1257. Secret; Niact. Drafted and approved by Dulles. Repeated to Paris and London.↩