LET  
This telegram must be                   (Paris)
closely paraphrased be-                 Vichy
fore being communicated
to anyone.  (SC)                        Dated August 1 ,1941
          
                                   Rec'd 7:33 a.m., 2nd.
 
Secretary of State,
     Washington.
 
     970, August 1, 4 p.m. (SECTION SIX)
 
The Germans would not tell him, he said, the figures
 
of their losses but admitted that both in planes and
 
manpower they were "high". Furthermore, their pro-
 
gress was slow'. They had told him they would finish
 
in three weeks and they had not done so. Now, how-
 
ever, they were through the strongest areas of Russian
 
defence and everyone knows that the Russian engineers
 
are the best in the world for building defence, works.
 
From now on German progress should be quicker.
 
"There will, however, be famine for Europe and the plague is
 
already breaking out," the Marshal interjected.
 
     Turning once more to the United States and com-
 
plains that we are quite ready with criticism but
 
slow in action, Darlan said: "When you have three
 
thousand tanks, six thousand planes and five hundred
 
thousand men to bring to Marseilles, let me know.
 
Then we shall welcome you. But neither side can win
 
the war and Europe will be exhausted. It is to your
 
interest, as well as to ours, that there be an early
 
peace".

 
Repeated to Algiers. (END OF MESSAGE) LEAHY
 
HPD