771.00/4–1753
Informal Comment by Way of Explanation by the United States Representative on the Committee of Control (Witman)1
It was the intention of the United States Government, following its decision in 1945 to participate in the provisional international regime, that the American representative take an active part in the work of the Committee of Control and cooperate fully with his colleagues. The American representative has voted regularly in the past and during 1950 assumed the presidency of the Committee. In practice, the [Page 209] United States representative may abstain from voting on certain questions governed by the 1923 Statute which might be in conflict with United States treaty rights, and which seem not to have been substantially affected by the 1945 Agreement (such as Article 32). The United States considers that such an attitude is appropriate and reasonable, since its acceptance of the invitation to participate in the provisional regime did not imply adherence to the Statute. As concerns the suggestion in the fourth question posed by the Minister of France that other Powers might decide once more to have Legations in Tangier, I might add that my Government would welcome the reestablishment of diplomatic agencies at Tangier by those Governments now participating in the Committee of Control and would be interested in receiving the views of the other member Governments. If a decision to replace the consulates general by diplomatic agencies were to be taken by the other members, it would seem appropriate that such change be put into effect at the time the Protocol of November 10, 1952, comes into force.
- This comment was an enclosure to despatch 419 of Apr. 17, 1953 from Tangier. (771.00/4–1753)↩