781.003/282
The Diplomatic Agent and Consul General at Tangier (Blake) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 2.]
Sir: I have the honor to inform the Department that, from conversations with my Belgian colleague, it is apparent that there has been a Franco-Belgian exchange of views in Brussels with regard to the modification of the Morocco Treaty position. The Belgian Government is gravely concerned over the possible issues, and is determined to set up the strongest possible defense of Belgian economic and trade rights in Morocco. My Belgian colleague has no information as to the details of the conversations, but he informed me that, in reply to the French suggestion that proposals should be submitted by the Belgian to the French Government, the former replied that its conventional position and rights in Morocco were already defined by the existing Moroccan treaties; that it had no inclination to promote a change of that position, and therefore, if any modification were contemplated by France, propositions in that direction should more appropriately [Page 668] come from the French, for consideration by the Belgian Government.
The Department will be kept informed of any further data which I may be able to gather in the above connection.
Respectfully yours,