681.003/161: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in the United Kingdom ( Atherton )

48. Your 96, March 6, noon. You may advise British orally that this Government is now negotiating with the Spanish Government [Page 1015] with the view of obtaining settlement of certain claims of American proteges arising in the Spanish Zone of Morocco, in exchange for formal recognition of the Spanish Protectorate by the United States. While the Spanish have indicated they desire to inject the question of surrender of extraterritorial rights into negotiations, the American negotiators have been instructed by the Department to make it clear to the Spanish that we desire to limit the present negotiations to a settlement of claims in exchange for formal recognition. This Government has no present intention of giving up its extraterritorial privileges.

Hull