Editorial Note
In the fall of 1951, the French had suggested that the United States agree to an exchange of letters with the French in which the United States would point out that it supported the French position in Morocco and had no interest in internal political affairs there. For documentation on this topic, see Foreign Relations, 1951, volume V, pages 1368 ff., in particular, the memorandum of conversation by the Secretary of State, October 9, 1951, page 1389.
During the United States-French political talks in Washington in March 1953, the French Minister of Foreign Affairs gave the Secretary of State two draft letters stating a United States position of non-interference in North Africa, in particular with regard to Morocco. Copies of the letters were attached to a memorandum by Jernegan (NEA) to MacArthur (C), dated April 21, 1953. The memorandum stated that the Secretary of State had expressed the desire to have a counter-draft prepared in the Department of State on the same topic, and the counter-draft was also attached. (French North Africa files, lot 58 D 786, “Bipartite Talks”) For the substance of the position paper, see airgram A–2237 to Paris, May 27, page 148.