881.6463/13
The American Diplomatic Agent and Consul General at Tangier ( Blake ) to the French Resident General in Morocco ( Saint )1
Mr. Resident-General:—I have the honor to draw Your Excellency’s attention to certain discussions which have recently taken place in the Committees of the Legislative Assembly at Tangier, and from the trend of which it is apprehended that decisions might eventually be taken by that Body, in violation of the treaty rights of the United States in Morocco.
There is now before the aforesaid Assembly, or is shortly to be presented by the appropriate Committees, for its consideration and decision, an application made by the “Compañia Electra Hispano-Marroquí” and the “Société Marocaine de Destribution d’Eau, de Gaz et d’Electricité” for the grant to themselves without public adjudication of a concession for the supply of electric fluid for lighting and power purposes in the city of Tangier and its surroundings.
I have therefore the honor to request Your Excellency to be good enough to recall to the competent Authorities of the Tangier Zone of the Shereefian Empire that, in virtue of the treaty provisions concerning economic equality among the Powers, and notably in view of the specific terms of the Act of Algeciras2 in the premises, the conditions under which any concession or contract of the nature in question may be granted by the Tangier Administration, must be such as to make it possible for American nationals to participate in the bidding for such enterprise, on terms of perfect equality with concerns of any other nationality.
In view of the circumstances above set forth, I venture to stress the necessity for urgent action on the part of Your Excellency, in this connection.
Please accept [etc.]
- Copy transmitted to the Department by the Diplomatic Agent at Tangier in his despatch No. 507, May 28, 1930; received June 17.↩
- Foreign Relations, 1906, pt. 2, p. 1495.↩