881.00/10–1047
The Ambassador in France (Caffery) to the Secretary of State
No. 9752
Sir: I have the honor to refer despatch No. 719 from the Legation at Tangier, dated October 2, 1947,1 pertaining to the “alleged French Proposals for reform of Central and Municipal Governments in French Morocco”, and to Mr. Abdellatif Sbihi’s version of the Sultan’s reaction.
This Embassy concurs with the despatch’s concluding paragraph that Mr. Sbihi’s account does not entirely reflect what may have actually transpired between the French and the Sultan.
Furthermore, while recognizing the backwardness of many local [Page 719] French officials who seem reluctant or unable to grasp the fact that the old colonial order as they knew it is gone forever, I am convinced that the majority of French leaders at the policy-making level are, like General Juin, bent on following their publicly stated policy “the sense of which may be interpreted as being more in line with the establishment of democratic reforms, in preparation for ultimate autonomy, than with the perpetuation or tightening of French control by the whittling down of Sherifian authority”.
The reforms to which the Sultan, according to Mr. Sbihi, took such violent exception, the creation of municipal elected bodies and the re-organization of the Government Council, constitute a part of the French Government’s present policy towards North Africa and were reported in this Embassy’s despatches No. 9644 of September 19, 1947 and No. 9658 of September 23, 1947.
On one point, Mr. Sbihi and the Sultan would appear to be on sound legal and constitutional grounds: The election by Frenchmen, alone among the European colony in Morocco, of French Municipal Councils. It will be recalled that the French Government recognized its “faux pas” on an earlier similar occasion when members of the National Constituent Assembly were elected by the French colony in Morocco. Nevertheless, it would seem that this legal objection would be no longer valid should municipal elections be instituted in Morocco, in which all Europeans would participate, and which would serve to designate European rather than French members of Municipal Councils.
It is also recognized that these municipal elections, as presently announced by the French, constitute but a first and limited step forward. The indirect election of the Moslem members, the influence of the French Civil Comptrollers over the Pachas in the ultimate selection of the Moslem counselors, the veto right for the present of the representative of the French administration in such important matters as the local budget are also fully recognized. The limited aspects of the proposed reform in the Council of Government are also appreciated, though native Moroccan participation is increased and the real influence of the Council as a whole can but be greater.
Notwithstanding the above, and as pointed out in despatch No. 719 from Tangier, there seems no valid reason to question the good faith of the French Government in seeking to undertake these necessarily limited first steps towards the introduction of real democracy in Morocco.
On the contrary and particularly viewed from Paris, where French Governmental policy is being formulated (although admittedly it is too often inadequately implemented in the field), Mr. Sbihi’s memorandum appears to fit in with the oft-referred-to “all or nothing” policy [Page 720] of the Sultan and of the other extremist North African Nationalists and coincides with the recent statements made to me by General Juin (I refer to my airgrams No. 14912 and No. 1497 of October 8th3). The line taken by Mr. Sbihi, as well as the actions and statements of certain other Nationalist leaders throughout North Africa, would tend to give some substance to the view that the Sultan and certain other North African Nationalist leaders are primarily bent on exploiting the North African countries to their own advantage and for their personal profit, and that a sincere progressive desire for real reforms is perhaps a secondary motivating factor.
Respectfully yours,