125.0081/43b: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé at Tangier (Childs)
117. The Department has received the impression from recent correspondence emanating from your office that some doubt may exist as to the responsible authority in North Africa for the work of the vice consuls under the economic accord.
In order to remove any possible misunderstanding on this subject, it is believed desirable to point out that the activities of these vice consuls are under the control and supervision of Mr. Robert D. Murphy at Algiers. For administrative purposes the vice consuls are of course assigned to consulates nearest their respective bases of operations and, solely in an administrative sense, they are under the jurisdiction of the consular officers in charge of those posts. However, the Department regards Mr. Murphy as the supervising officer for all of the control officers, consequently all matters such as their disposition and movements, the nature of their activities, and their relations with French officials or the native population, should be handled entirely by him.
Please repeat to Algiers for Murphy.