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

881.00/5–2745: Telegram

The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary of State

Paris, May 27, 1945—11 a.m.
[Received 4:13 p.m.]

2993. My 2984, May 26.¹² The following is a translation of an undated note from Bidault¹³ concerning Tangiers:

“Referring to letter No. 499¹⁴ which Your Excellency had the honor to address to me on May 22, I have the honor to inform you that the French Govt believes, as does the Govt of US that the moment has come to require of the Spanish Govt the evacuation of the Tangier Zone.

The Spanish [French] Govt considers moreover that the situation (“Vétat de fait et de droit”) existing at Tangier in 1940—before the Spanish action by force—should be integrally reestablished. The statute of 1923 could then be purely and simply reestablished.

It will be necessary however at the moment when the Spanish troops will be withdrawn, to disembark at Tangiers, to assure there provisionally the maintenance of public order, a police force. The French Govt considers that this police force should be a Sherifian¹⁵ force. The international organizations of the zone having been dissolved by the Spanish, it is in fact the principle of the sovereignty of the Sultan which should predominate until such time as the statute will have been effectively restored in operation.

Acting in its quality [capacity] as protecting power for Morocco by virtue of treaty of protectorate,¹⁶ French Govt will assume task of transporting this force by a French warship. It would only see advantages if this operation of disembarkation is accompanied in the roadstead of Tangier by an inter-Allied naval demonstration.

French Govt has proposed to Brit Govt, co-signatory with it of the convention signed in Paris Dec 18th 1923, to make common representations to Spanish Govt at Madrid with object of leading latter to consent without more delay to evacuation of the zone. French Govt hopes US Govt will agree to participate in these representations as well as in proposed naval demonstration.

If the considerations I have just had the honor to expose to Your Excellency are agreeable to the Govt of the US it would be of interest if as early as next week conversations can be held at Paris between representatives of the three Govts to decide on the details of the action which is envisaged.”

Sent Dept as 2993 rptd Madrid as 178 to Tangier as 6 and London as 347.

Caffery

12. Not printed.
13. M. Georges Bidault, Minister for Foreign Affairs in the Provisional Government of the French Republic. A note, substantially the same as M. Bidault’s message herein quoted, was transmitted by the French Embassy to the Department of State on May 29 (not printed).
14. See footnote 8, p. 606.
15. i.e., Moroccan.
16. Traité entre la France et le Maroc pour VÉtablissement d’un Régime régulier et VIntroduction des Réformes nécessaires, signed at Fez, March 30, 1912,, British and Foreign State Papers, vol. cvi, p. 1923.