France increasing naval harbour at Bizerta, Tunisia according to the Dutch magazine Marineblad dated 1920 no. 5

An item referred to the Temps dated 9 May 1920 reporting that France intended to increase the war harbour at Bizerta, Tunisia including the necessary facilities to be used as naval base for the Spanish Mediterranean squadron and at the same time as the major merchant harbour of North Africa. The opinion that large merchant harbours were less suitable to be used as naval bases was passé. The First World War pointed out that the stores and facilities of merchant harbours were in times of war of extreme value for the navy. The combination of naval and merchant harbours also had as benefit that naval yards lacking work and becoming uneconomically could repair merchant ships.