881.00/8–1745: Telegram
The Ambassador in France ( Caffery ) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 18—12:03 a.m.]
4985. From Villard. We proposed at yesterday’s session that the administrator and assistant administrators of the Tangier Zone during the provisional period would be designated by Sharifian Dahir from among nationals of any of the following powers: Belgium, Netherlands and Portugal upon nomination by the Govts concerned, assisted by a French technical counselor. We had in mind elimination of the national rivalries which have prejudiced the international administration in the past as well as the difficulties in obtaining an American administrator or if one were obtained the top heavy scale of salaries which would be necessitated in as much as it is doubtful if other administrators would be willing to accept less than that paid the American administrator.
Previous to the meeting the British and Soviet delegations had expressed themselves in principle in accord with our proposal.
At the formal meeting however the French delegation explained at some length that in view of France’s preponderant interest in Tangier it would have to insist on employment of at least a French administrator. Two alternatives were proposed: 1. That the administrator be of French nationality assisted by British financial administrator and Spanish administrator for public health. The second alternative proposed by the French was that the administrator be of French nationality assisted by a British financial administrator, Soviet administrator for justice, American administrator for economic affairs, Spanish administrator for public health and an administrator for public security, of Belgian, Dutch, Swedish or Portuguese nationality.
We are of the opinion our own proposal is preferable under all the circumstances but we would see no objection to the addition of France to the list of countries from which administrators be chosen provided the chief administrator were of non-French nationality.
Repeated to Tangier as 38, copies sent by pouch to London as 601, Madrid as 320 and Moscow as 280. [Villard.]