Office of the Historian

881.00/6–1945: Telegram

The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State

London, June 19, 1945—1 p.m.
[Received June 19—10:14 a.m.]

6189. Childs, George and Dempster discussed Tangier informally yesterday with representatives FonOff.

British propose conclusion of an agreement between Belgium, France, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain and Sweden (parties to original Tangier convention) consisting of 13 articles.

1.
Provides for provisional administration of Tangier Zone in accordance with agreement from a date 6 weeks after signature until replaced by new convention. Latter would be drawn up by Committee of Control in Tangier and upon completion conference would be held in Paris for its signature.
2.
Provides “Govt of US is invited to participate in the administration of the Tangier Zone provided for by the present agreement, to exercise any right granted by the contracting parties in the Convention of 1923 and in particular to appoint the US representative in Tangier as a member of the Committee of Control, notwithstanding that the US has not become a party to the Convention of 1923. The representative of the US shall have the right to participate in the drawing up of the future convention to replace the Convention of 1923 and to become a party thereto”.
3.
Until an effective police is constituted law and order will be maintained by an internatl force of American, British, French and Spanish detachments under command of American officer who shall be under general superintendence of Committee of Control.
4, 5, 6 and 8.
Are technical in character relating to turning over of the administration.
7.
Provides that if the new administration requires a temporary credit an advance will be contributed in equal shares by UK, France, Spain and US.
9.
Sultan will appoint, upon recommendation of Committee of Control acting by majority vote (a) chief administrator and assistants for (b) finance (c) judiciary (d) health and relief (e) public works (f) native affairs.
10.
Above officers would constitute Administrative Council.
11.
Tangier Zone shall be administered in accordance with provisions of the 1923 Convention as amended in 1928 subject to amendments set forth in annex to the agreement.
12.
Committee of Control may during lifetime of agreement adopt amendments to annex by unanimous decision.
13.
Agreement shall be open to accession by Italian Govt at such time as other parties shall agree.

This provisional agreement and annex are to be discussed formally with US and French representatives as soon as place and date of conversations may be determined.

The organic Dahir and all relevant Dahirs would be amended to conform with the present proposed agreement and annex and in their new form these Dahirs, in Child’s view, might be submitted by French Resident General through Legt in Tangier for Dept’s assent. This might be given subject to reservations to which British appear agreeable which would maintain our treaty position and rights in all essentials including during the provisional regime our extraterritorial rights.

Copies of proposal [proposed] drafts are being carefully examined and will be submitted to Dept with appropriate detailed comments.40

Sent Dept as 6189, rptd to Paris as 377, Madrid as 163, Tangier as 33.

Winant

[For documentation concerning Tangier during the period June 20–August 1, 1945, see Foreign Relations, The Conference of Berlin (The Potsdam Conference), 1945, volume I, pages 989–1009, and volume II, entries in index, under Tangier, page 1638–1639.]

  1. Despatch 23896, June 25, 1945, from London, not printed.↩