Foreign Relations of the United States: Diplomatic Papers, 1945, The Near East and Africa, Volume VIII

881.00/5–945

Memorandum of Conversation, by the Assistant Chief of the Division of African Affairs (Wasson)

[Washington,] May 12, 1945.

Participants:	Mr. George H. Middleton, Second Secretary, British Embassy.
	Mr. Cole, AF2
	Mr. Wasson, AF

Mr. Middleton stated that, in the absence of Mr. Michael Wright³ from Washington, he had been asked to bring us the British proposals with regard to Tangier. He said that he would leave the aide-mémoire⁴ for our study and that he would like to discuss the suggestions with us at our early convenience. Mr. Middleton remarked that after many months of waiting there was very little that was specific in the recommendations; however, he had been asked to express the earnest hope that the American Government would be prepared to associate itself actively in the future administration of the Zone, both in the interim period, when it was suggested that the 1923 regime⁵ with some amendments should be reintroduced pending the establishment of a new agreement, and later on when the new and permanent regime shall have been established. Mr. Middleton went on to say that these were preliminary views, and that the Foreign Office suggested that detailed discussions should be held in London at an early date, since they and the French had no one in Washington sufficiently familiar with the problem. The Foreign Office had informed the Embassy in Washington, according to Mr. Middleton, that the French Embassy in London had inquired what the British views were with regard to Tangier and had intimated that it would like to discuss steps looking to the withdrawal of the Spanish authorities in the Zone. While expressing the opinion that the U.S.S.R. should be kept informed of developments, Mr. Middleton felt that steps to restore the international regime should be taken by the United States Government, the French Government, and His Majesty’s Government.

Mr. Middleton inquired whether we had made detailed studies of the administration of the Zone with a view to making recommendations regarding the nationality of those who should head the three sections of the central administration: finance, interior (municipal police, fire, prisons), and public health and assistance. He stated that the British felt strongly that an American or British subject should be in charge of finances and that a strict accounting should be demanded of the Spanish for the disposition made of all receipts during their illegal occupation of the Zone, no matter how much they objected. The British, he said, felt that a Spaniard might head the department of public health and assistance. Recommendations would be made looking to the reorganization of the Assembly, to reduce the number of votes controlled by the French under the 1923 Statute. He likewise inquired as to our views regarding such matters as the Mixed Court, currency, the native administration, and schools.

I informed Mr. Middleton that the British proposals would receive the careful attention of this Government and that we expected to receive specific recommendations from our Chargé d’Affaires⁶ at Tangier in a day or so which, we hoped, would cover the points which he had mentioned.⁷ In reply to our inquiry as to whether we might have a copy of the detailed British recommendations to which he referred, Mr. Middleton replied that they consisted of copies of a large number of telegrams sent from London to Tangier, some of which canceled suggestions made in previous messages. He would, if we made the request, ask London whether he might provide the Department with paraphrases of the telegrams. Mr. Middleton pointed out that they did not necessarily represent the views of His Majesty’s Government.

2. Felix Cole, Appointed Minister to Ethiopia and temporarily assigned to the Division of African Affairs (AF).
3. Counselor of the British Embassy.
4. See infra.
5. Convention regarding the organization of the Statute of the Tangier Zone, signed at Paris, December 18, 1923, League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. xxviii, p. 541. For reservations of American treaty rights, see note to the French Ambassador, June 18, 1925, Foreign Relations, 1925, vol. ii, p. 599. An agreement revising the Convention was signed at Paris, July 25, 1928, League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. lxxxvii, p. 211. For reservation of American treaty rights with respect to this Agreement, see telegram 76, March 15, 1928, to Paris, Foreign Relations, 1928, vol. iii, p. 371.
6. J. Rives Childs.
7. These recommendations concerning specific details of the Tangier question were transmitted to the Department in airgram A–148, May 10, 1945, from Tangier, not printed (881.00/5–1045).