FRHMtGS
His Majesty's anbassy hove been instructed
to communicate to the State Pepartaent the
following text of an official communique which was
issued by the ^itish Admiralty In Iondon on March
30th.
"An incident occurred this morning between
some of our light forces and !• onch shore batteries
in Algeria.   Reports had boon received that a convoy
of four merchant ships escorted by a French destroyer
xvos due to pass through Straits of Gibraltar and
that convoy carried important war material for Germany.
Accordingly orders were given for interception of convoy
which however passed through Straits within Spanish
territorial waters.    Our forces caught up with French
ships after they had left Spanish territorial waters,
and called upon them to stop so that normal procedure
of visit and search might be carried out.   French aho: e
batteries in the vicinity then opened fire on our ships
notwithstanding that they were merely engaged in
exerc'se of our lejitirate belligerent rights. His
Majesty's ships were compelled to reply in their own
defence end hits were observed on shore batteries* In
view of the action ta;on by French batteries,our
warships would have been fully Justified in firing on
French mo:chant ships and their escort, cut in the
interests of humanity did not do so and merchant ships
succeeded in entering nearby French port of Nemours.
2. During return of our forces to Gibraltar
they were twice attached by French bomber formations
but without suffering damage or casualties."
3RITISH EMBASSY,
!ASriTK>*InR, D.C.
March 31st 1041.