881.00/9–445

The Acting Secretary of State to the French Ambassador (Bonnet)

Excellency: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of September 4, 1945, in which you express, on behalf of the Governments of France and Great Britain, the desire that the Government of the United States participate in the administration of Tangier on the basis of the provisional regime provided for in the final act of the Conference of Experts held at Paris during August, 1945.

The Government of the United States is pleased to accept the invitation of the French and British Governments.

In accepting this invitation, the United States Government wishes to point out that such collaboration on its part in the provisional regime so established does not imply adherence by the United States to the Paris Convention of December 18, 1923 or to the final protocol of July 25, 1928, which had as their object the creation of an international statute for the Tangier Zone in Morocco. The collaboration of representatives of the United States at Tangier in the provisional administration of the Zone shall not be deemed to modify or abridge in any manner: (1) the position of the United States, (2) the status of its representatives, (3) the establishment, authority and powers of its extraterritorial jurisdiction, and (4) any rights accruing to the United States and to its nationals and ressortissants from treaty, custom, and usage as they existed throughout the territories of the Shereefian Empire prior to the introduction into the Tangier Zone of the administration resulting from the above-mentioned convention of 1923 and the protocol of 1928.

With reference to Article 3(b) of the agreement between the Governments of Great Britain and France concluded on August 31, 1945, it is suggested that the French Government may wish to inform the other Powers referred to in Article 2(a) of the Agreement that the Government of the United States has accepted the invitation of the British and French Governments to participate in the provisional regime for Tangier, subject to the foregoing reservations.

Accept [etc.]

Dean Acheson