681.006/72
The Diplomatic Agent and Consul General at
Tangier (
Blake
) to the Secretary of State
No. 1521
Tangier
, January 9,
1940.
[Received February 9.]
Sir: I have the honor to enclose herewith
copy of a Note, dated January 9, 1940, which I have addressed to the
Resident General of France at Rabat, as Foreign Minister of His
Shereefian Majesty, in pursuance of Instruction No. 1054 of December
4, 19392 (File No.
681.006/67), reserving American treaty rights in relation to
legislation introduced by the French Protectorate Government,
incident to the present exceptional circumstances in French
Morocco.
The general reservation formulated in my Note, follows as closely as
possible the phraseology of the above mentioned Instruction, and
will, I trust, be found by the Department, to meet the situation
satisfactorily.
Respectfully yours,
[Enclosure]
The American Diplomatic Agent and Consul
General at Tangier (
Blake
) to the Frence Resident General in Morocco (
Naguès
)
Tangier
, January 9,
1940.
Mr. Resident General: I had the honor
to address to Your Excellency, under date of September 18,
1939,3 a Note which, on behalf
of my Government, made formal reservation of American treaty
rights in Morocco, in relation to decrees establishing Foreign
Exchange Control, the prohibition and reglementation of exports
and imports, and similar emergency war time measures, which were
published in the Official Bulletin of the Protectorate
Government, No. 1402-bis of [Page 773] September 15, 1939. My Note further protested
against the pretention to afford preferential treatment to
French and Algerian merchandise implied in certain of the
decrees concerning the control of importations.
While confirming the tenor of the Note above mentioned, I am now
instructed to extend the same reservations, to all war time
measures promulgated subsequently to the decrees particularly
referred to above, and to those which may be introduced in the
future, incident to the present exceptional circumstances in
French Morocco, insofar as they may be at variance with the
treaty principles upon which American rights are based in
Morocco.
I am instructed to remind Your Excellency that my Government
cannot give its approval to the application to American
nationals in French Morocco of legislation which might be
regarded as direct governmental assistance to one belligerent
against the interests of the opposing belligerent, because, as
the Protectorate Government has been informed, such a result
would not be in accord with the neutrality of the United States,
which has been proclaimed by the President.
However, I am prepared to examine with the Protectorate
Authorities, and to report to the Department of State at
Washington, suggestions designed to avoid special difficulties
prejudicial to the interests of the Moroccan community, which
might result from the failure of my Government to give its
approval to legislation enacted as a result of the present
exceptional circumstances in Morocco. Such suggestions would
have to be limited, of course, to those measures of co-operation
which did not prejudice the neutrality of the United States, the
maintenance of American treaty rights in French Morocco, or the
legitimate activities and interests of American nationals
there.
Please accept [etc.]
