File No. 2151/64.
Minister Gummeré to the Secretary of State.
Tangier, September 4, 1907.
Sir: I have the honor to report that the diplomatic corps has received through their dean a letter from the French chargé d’affaires stating as follows:
That owing to the present troubled time, when all is so insecure at Tangier and its environs, the minister of war and the governor of Tangier, upon the advice of Mr. Bourgés, commissioner of police of the French legation, have decided to form a service of police to reestablish the security of the interior of the town as well as of its environs.
The principle of the projected reform consists in the division of the town into eight quarters, each one under a responsible captain and lieutenant. The five captains of the douars, or districts, in the suburbs of Tangier [are] to be confirm [ed] in their present functions and held responsible for the maintenance of order in their district, or douar.
A list of inhabitants in each quarter or district will be established, and a roll also will be made of the said inhabitants to designate who shall keep guard at night, the turn of such guard to return every ten days at most, The replacement, by those who may be hired to do so, [Page 896] will not be permitted. In order to be effective the obligation to guard must be made absolute for all natives, protected or otherwise, except for those protégés under articles 2 and 16 of the treaty of Madrid.
This organization to exist until the permanent installation of police under the Algeciras Act. The expense will be some four thousand francs per month, to be covered by an advance from the Algerian Company (bank) to the Moorish Government of 100,000 francs, to be used for the protection of the city.
The minister of war is disposed to confide the payment and control of this body of police to Captain Fournie and his subordinates (French police).
That, if the diplomatic corps approves, a letter should be sent to Sid El Hadj Mohamed Ben Arby Torres, the Sultan’s delegate, asking him to take part in the formation of said body of police and inviting him to nominate competent Moorish authorites for the same.
I have the honor to report further that the diplomatic corps have approved of the installation of the said temporary body of police at Tangier, and it is hoped that the same may be carried out with as little delay as possible.
I am, etc.,