Description

See the correspondence from 05/05 to 07/03/1941 (FFM_6GMII-92_00164-0167, 0169-0170, 0182-0186, 0193)

May 30, 1942 – Paule-Herfort writes directly to Mr. Pierre Laval, « President of the Council, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Interior and Information », to inform him that she is charged by Paris-Soir to report in Spain, Portugal, Tangier, French Morocco and Algeria. She tells him that her official request of May 3 was refused on May 23 by the Prefecture of Police, and that she had informed him that « last year Morocco had already refused her visa ». She claims « that the Africa Office at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs remains hostile to journalists from occupied France », and argues : « This is not the way, it seems to me, to unify the press of the two zones ». She leaves the President « to judge giving to this the continuation which you will consider useful for France ». She concludes her letter by expressing her « best wishes for the great work you have undertaken ».

June 19, 1942 – Paule-Herfort writes again directly to Pierre Laval to inform him that she has all the documents, passport and pass to undertake her trip, only the visa for Morocco is still not granted.

July 14, 1942 – From Madrid, where she stays, Paule-Herfort once again addresses Pierre Laval and asks him « to be good enough, since you have all the power to do so, to give the necessary instructions to M. Triat our consul at Tangier, to allow me to transit through Morocco, with a stopover of ten days, and then go to Algeria ». She continues her argument : « I am not an unwanted person, you know me well and I am not asking to move to Morocco. If it is true that there is only one France, nothing can excuse the vexatious measure taken by Morocco against an old French journalist known to all, who has probably against her , but to work in a newspaper of the occupied zone ».

The letter is annotated, handwritten : « Diplomatic bag… Mr. Rochat… Seen by the President… Tell Mrs. P Herfort to return to France – the question of a trip to Morocco will then be examined ».

Paris July 24, 1942 – Typed note from the Private Secretary of Mr. Pierre Laval : « Letter from Mrs. Paule-Herfort […] who was refused the visa of her passport by the Residence of Morocco in Rabat and who would like to obtain it as soon as possible – addressed to President Laval – forwarded for attribution to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Vichy ».

On the note, handwriten, we read : « A non-stop transit visa has been granted see Algiers Rabat and Tangier 30. VII. 42 ».