File No. 702.0081/1
The French Ambassador to the Secretary of State
Washington , January 16, 1916 .
Mr. Secretary of State: My Government wishes me to say to your excellency that under the terms of the Treaty of March 31, 1912, which established the Protectorate of France over the Empire of Morocco, the resident commissioner general of the Republic, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sultan is the Sultan’s only intermediary with foreign representatives, he alone has charge of all questions [Page 809] affecting foreigners in the Shereefian Empire (Article 5, paragraph 2) as a consequence he alone in the Empire can issue exequaturs to foreign consuls.
Wishing however to please the Spanish Government the Government of the Republic has consented to waiving its treaty right in the Spanish zone and through a dahir dated the 15th of Moharram 1334 (November 23, 1915) the Sultan has empowered the Khalifa of Tetuan to issue exequaturs to foreign consuls in the Spanish zone.
Hereafter the commissions of foreign consuls and vice consuls in that zone shall be sent for their exequaturs to the Spanish high commissioner of Tetuan, in care of the representative of Spain at Tangier.
The commission of foreign consuls and vice consuls in the French zone shall likewise be sent for their exequaturs to the resident commissioner general of the Republic, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Sultan at Rabat.
The letters of credence of diplomatic agents and consuls general hereafter appointed shall be handed to the Sultan at Rabat or if the officer is unable to proceed to Rabat he shall, send his letters to the Sultan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. The day on which the said letters of credence are delivered or the date of the acknowledgment of receipt of the said letters will hereafter determine the diplomatic agent’s precedence at Tangier.
The Government of the Republic would attach great value to receiving notice that the Federal Government consents to conform with the foregoing and act accordingly, either when it sees fit to close its Legation at Tangier or with respect to the consuls and vice consuls whom it may appoint in that city and the French zone of the Shereefian Empire.
Be pleased [etc.]