France, in turn, seeks authorization for release of some of the $1,500,000,- 000 in "frozen" funds here to pay for any goods in excess of the value of raw materials purchased by the United States, In view of the acute shipping shortage an agreement may be reached to, utilize some or all of the fourteen French vessels now refugeeing here, It was pointed out that French ships would be free to enter the Mediterranean combat zone and use the ports there, whereas American ships could transport cargoes only to Casablanca, which is on the Atlantic, outside the combat zone, Before the war Morocco exported chiefly wheat and manganese; Algiers, wheat, wine and antimony; and Tunisia, phosphates and olive oil The major imports of the colonies are sugar, cotton, wool, petroleum, copper and manufactured goods.
M. Gaston Henry-Have, the French Ambassador, has been negotiating for several months with the State Department, attempting to arrange regular shipments of foodstuffs to unoccupied France, Although "test" shipments have been made, the negotiations are still under' way, Officials said, however, that the proposed shipments to North Africa might be considered an extension of those discussions,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.