Foreign Relations of the United States, 1952–1954, Africa and South Asia, Volume XI, Part 1

771.00/6–2752: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Legation at Tangier¹

confidential

Washington, July 18, 1952—4:32 p.m.

23. Fol summarizes Dept’s position on proposals for reorganization Tangier admin (Legtels 433 June 27² and 11 July 10³ and Deptel 9 July 5).⁴

1. Admin to be neutral. Administrator and Asst Administrators to be apptd for three year terms.

2. No objection to Span Asst Administrator in charge Public Health and Welfare but with no responsibility for public order. Dept questions advisability giving Span Asst Administrator responsibility over labor matters which we feel shld be responsibility neutral Administrator assisted by neutral labor adviser if such is necessary. Span record on labor hardly lends itself to responsibility for such matters in Internatl Zone.

3. We support English Asst Administrator for Fin.

4. Dept favors selection of Asst Administrators by Comite Control rather than by nomination of interested govt but considers pt relatively unimportant and is willing go along with majority opinion.

5. We support Ital request for Vice President Legislative Assembly: for increasing Ital membership therein to three and for amending Art 11(a) of 1945 Accord.⁵ We do not support Ital desire to make Ital legal adviser Asst Administrator and have so informed Ital and Fr Embs here.

6. Believe we shld follow majority lead on matter increased Port Reps Legislative Assembly.

7. We agree that you shld abstain on reestab Mixed Bureau of Info.

8. Dept desires that specific amendment to 1945 Accord be made to provide for Amer Vice Presidency Legislative Assembly.

9. We see no objection limiting period of duration of amendments to five years as suggested by Fr.

10. Dept supports Brit Commissioner for security.

11. Dept concurs Brit suggestion that Art II of 1945 Accord be amended to provide that accord will continue in force until new convention is drafted.

12. Dept supports reorganization Mixed Tribunal.

13. Dept not satisfied with Span and Fr proposals for organization of police. We believe proposal for two chiefs police with equal authority under admin impractical and that we shld insist on one neutral chief of police with Span Deputy in Charge gendarmérie (or mobile guard) and Fr Deputy in charge regular police; Span to have Fr Assist Deputy and Frenchman to have Span Assist Deputy. Police Commissioners to be one-third Fr, one-third Span and one-third other nationalities. Deputies wld have equal rank but wld be responsible to neutral chief who in turn responsible to Administrator who has final responsibility for public order. Dept sees no reason acquiesce Fr and Span proposals re police and therefore wishes you discuss proposals further with your Span, Fr and English colleagues explaining Dept feels strongly this pt and is considering instructing you vote against this proposal unless satis compromise can be reached. Dept will take same line with interested emb reps in Washington. Since we are mtg Fr and Span on other proposals we fail see why Fr and Span shld not give on this pt. Keep Dept informed your efforts this matter.

Acheson

1. This telegram, which was drafted by Earle Junior Richey of the Office of African Affairs, was repeated to London, Paris, Madrid, Lisbon, and Rome.
2. Not printed; after prolonged discussion with his British colleague, Thomas Godric Aylett Muntz, the U.S. Representative at Tangier, John Carter Vincent, suggested the positions he thought the United States should take on the controversial issues. (771.00/6–2752)
3. Not printed; Vincent replied to Bruce’s telegram cited in footnote 4 below and noted the positions taken by the Spanish and Italian Representatives at the July 5 meeting of the Control Committee and as well a 10-point proposal, made on July 7, by the French member of a negotiating working group which included the Spanish, British, and Italian Ministers and himself. (771.00/7–1052)
4. Not printed; Acting Secretary of State David Bruce responded to the points raised by Vincent in telegram 433, cited in footnote 2 above, and stressed the importance to the United States of a vice presidency of the Legislative Assembly. He also wondered whether the United States should support a full reinstatement of Italy’s prewar rights in Tangier given the apparent reservations of the French. (771.00/7–552)
5. Article 11 (a): “The provisions of the Agreement and dahirs of 1928, in so far as they altered conditions in which the Italian Government is entitled to participate in the administration of the Zone, shall cease to operate.” The text is from The International City of Tangier by Graham H. Stuart (Stanford, 1955), p. 252.