Description

May 05 to July 3, 1941 – Exchange of telegrams and letters between the Administration in Rabat and that in Vichy concerning the visa request of Mrs. Paule-Herfort, reporter at Paris-Soir « appearing in the occupied zone », for the purpose of carrying out reporting from Spanish Morocco and French North Africa.

On May 05, the Minister of the Interior transmits to the Minister of Foreign Affairs a request from Ms. Paule-Herfort dated April 22, specifying that the visa she requested from Tangier where she was waiting to be able to enter the territory of the Protectorate was refused to her by the Resident General.

On May 10, the Minister of Foreign Affairs replied to the Minister of the Interior « that there is no reason […] to reverse the refusal made by General Noguès at the request of the person concerned ». He adds « that it seems preferable, under the current circumstances, not to encourage journalists to travel to North Africa ».

On May 23, Mrs. Paule-Herfort addressed directly and with great insistence to Admiral Darlan, « Vice-President of the Council and Minister of Foreign Affairs in Vichy », to indicate to him that she had been waiting for a month at her hotel in Tangier the result of the police investigation concerning her. She specifies : « It is painful to think that an honorable Frenchwoman is treated like an undesirable in her own country which she has always served to her best, when you see a Josephine Baker, for example, wife of the Jew Lion, foreign and negress, to move freely between French Morocco and Portugal ! ». She adds : « Allow me […] Mr. President, to modestly express to you all the admiration I have for your lofty personality as a great Chef and for the admirable work you are doing for France. Our country will owe you everything and the good French thank you on their knees ».

On June 20, Admiral Darlan wrote to the Consul General of France in Tangier : « As the person concerned is currently in Tangier, I would be obliged if you would let her know by the means and in the form which you deem the most suitable, that « it is not possible to go back on the refusal previously made by General Noguès to the request she made ».

On July 3, the Consul General of France in Tangier replied to the Minister of Foreign Affairs : « Ms. Paule-Herfort left Tangier at the beginning of last month, declaring to go to Paris without going through the free zone of our territory ».