681.116/60
The Secretary of State to the Diplomatic Agent and Consul General at Tangier (Blake)
Sir: The Department has received Mr. Goold’s despatch no. 281 of January 22, 1940, reporting the temporary establishment in the French Zone of the Shereefian Empire of import quotas on trucks. It appears that a copy of Mr. Goold’s despatch has been furnished to you.
It is not apparent from the despatch whether the quotas have been introduced as a result of specific legislation or whether they have been imposed by administrative action. If the quotas in question have been authorized by legislation formally promulgated in the French Zone, the reservations which you were authorized to enter with the French Protectorate Authorities in pursuance of the Department’s instruction no. 1054 of December 4, 1939,14 concerning legislation introduced by the Protectorate Authorities incident to the present exceptional circumstances in French Morocco, would adequately protect our rights. On the other hand, if the imposition of the quotas is the result of administrative action it is considered that specific notice should be taken of this violation of our treaty rights.
Accordingly you should endeavor to ascertain the basis for the introduction of the quotas on trucks. Should your investigation disclose that the imposition of these quotas is not based on specific legislative authority you should address a note of protest to the French Protectorate authorities, reserving at the same time all American treaty rights as affected by this administrative action as well as by any action of the French Protectorate authorities incident to the present exceptional circumstances in French Morocco.
Very truly yours,