881.512/68
The French Ambassador (Claudel) to the Secretary of State
Note Verbale
The International Legislative Assembly of Tangier has passed a law, called “de cadenas”, providing “that any bill presented by the Shereefian Administration tending to an increase in duties on consumption shall be made effective immediately”. The new tariffs will be posted in the customs offices on the next day after the filing of the bill in the office of the Assembly, and from the time that they are so posted the new customs duties will be provisionally applicable. The benefit of the old tariff will, however, be given to goods shipped direct by sea and destined for Tangier before such new duties are posted.
The general application of this measure, intended to prevent the abuses of speculation, presents great interest for the development of Tangier and for a proper balance between the colonies residing there.
At the request of the President of the Committee of Control, the Sultan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, i. e., the Resident Commissioner General of France in Morocco, has communicated the text of the law in question to the Diplomatic Agent of the United States at Tangier and has requested him to extend the provisions thereof to American citizens and protégés in the Zone of Tangier, subject to his jurisdiction, immediately on the promulgation of the new law.
The Ambassador of France at Washington would appreciate it if the Secretary of State would be good enough to give the instructions to that Diplomatic Agent necessary to authorize him to comply with this request.
The bills contemplated by the legislative text in question would be communicated to the Diplomatic Agent and the supplementary revenues provisionally collected on products imported by American nationals would not be definitively added to the funds of the Treasury until such laws shall have been made applicable to such nationals.
The Federal Government would place the Zone of Tangier in an embarrassing position if it prevented the application to its nationals of this fiscal legislation which will be limited to the measures necessary to insure the good administration of the Zone and to stabilize its finances.
Moreover, in giving its assent to this law, the Federal Government will not abandon any of the rights which it possesses at Tangier and which are recognized by the International Administration. It will always be in position to oppose any particular measure which it considers prejudicial to its interests.
At the request of the President of the Committee of Control, M. Steeg has also communicated to Mr. Blake the bills which will be presented [Page 517] in the near future to the International Legislative Assembly to increase consumption duties and port duties. He has requested the Diplomatic Agent to submit these texts to his Government in order that the latter may authorize the application of these laws to its nationals in case they should be passed by the Assembly and approved by the Control Committee.
The Ambassador of France to the United States would appreciate it if the Secretary of State would also send the necessary instructions on this point to Mr. Blake.
It would also be desirable for the American Government to give to its agent at Tangier the necessary authority to make the future legislation applicable to American nationals, without the necessity of referring the matter to Washington in each case.
M. Claudel avails himself of this occasion to renew to the Honorable Frank B. Kellogg the assurance of his highest consideration.
- File translation revised.↩