881.00/1475
The French Minister in Morocco (Blanc) to the American Diplomatic Agent and Consul General at Tangier (Blake)20
Mr. Diplomatic Agent: By letter of August 25 last,22 you have been good enough to call my attention to a notice published by the Administration of the Shereefian Zone of Tangier relative to a contract for the supply of 200 tons of tar, with a delay of only 17 days anterior to the date of adjudication. You observe that the Algeciras regulations provided a minimum of 60 days and you protest against the disregard of this rule by the Tangier Administration.
I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of this letter the contents of which have been brought to the attention of the Administrator of Tangier. It results, from the explanations which have been furnished in this connection by Mr. Le Fur, that the notice in question was inserted as from August 21st in the daily papers of Tangier, and that it was necessary to take prompt action to avoid prejudicing the interests of the Zone and its inability to utilize, before the heavy rains, the credits made available for the upkeep of the roads. It is in a great measure for these first reasons that, notwithstanding his desire to be agreeable to you, the Administrator finds himself confronted with the impossibility of postponing the adjudication brought into question by your letter. On the other hand, the Zone of Tangier subsequently to the installation of the Statute and as a consequence of the disappearance of the Special Committee of Public Works and of the Special Committee of Adjudications and Contracts, is governed in matters of adjudication by the Dahir of May 25th, 1925, which has brought the procedure relative to adjudications into harmony with the new necessities created by the development of Morocco and [Page 600] the increased speed in communications. The long delays therefore provided by the Act of Algeciras have had to be reduced to the maximum of one month, this maximum even being susceptible of abridgment in case of urgency.
In view of these explanations, you will undoubtedly be disposed to admit that the Administrator has not acted in the premises otherwise than in conformity with the above mentioned text and that no incorrection can be imputed to him.
Please accept [etc.]