771.00/9–1054
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Director, Office of African Affairs (Utter)1
Participants:
- Resident General Francis Lacoste
- Director of African Affairs John E. Utter
During a tête-à-tête luncheon at the Residency in Rabat on September 7, 1954, Francis Lacoste, the Resident General, an old and close friend of mine, opened his heart regarding the present situation in Morocco. He told me that he had not been to bed the previous night and had resumed his work this morning after a bath and breakfast at 7:30. Such was his preoccupation over state of affairs that he felt not a minute should be lost. This was due firstly to his realization that some constructive action must be taken before the opening of the next U.N. General Assembly and secondly to the goading which he had received from M. Mendes-France on a recent visit to Paris. The French Prime Minister, according to Lacoste, was somewhat heady over the rapid solutions he had achieved in the Indo-Chinese and Tunisian crises and was anxious to bring about a similarly quick cure for Moroccan ills. Lacoste bemoaned the fact that the Moroccan problem was not as simple as all that.
In the first place the question of the Sultan complicated the undertaking of reforms. However, Lacoste stated that after seeking every possible device and after much mature consideration he had abandoned for the time being hope of finding a compromise formula as a necessary first step to Franco-Moroccan negotiations.…
As a gesture of good will towards the Moroccans and a first step towards restoring confidence in France, Lacoste told me that he would announce on the radio, probably on September 9 or 10, the reform program [Page 652] to which Mendes-France had given his approval. Over the past week long discussions and heated debates over the reforms had been held, according to my informant, with the Chief of Regions, Sherifian Government directors, Syndicalists, Maghzen officials, Kittani and the Glaoui. Heavy criticism had been forthcoming, particularly from certain Chiefs of Region and directors, but the Resident General assured me that his arguments had prevailed and he hoped for loyal support from his subordinates.
The general tenor of Lacoste’s recital was one more of desperation than of optimism. He clearly expected a continuation of troublous times and recognized the difficulties in finding representative Moroccans ready and willing to negotiate their differences with the French. He saw little chance of such conversations in the immediate future as the Nationalists would unquestionably refuse invitations to participate in talks if issued by the present Sultan. Time, Lacoste thought, might mend this.
Lacoste questioned me at length on the Tunisian situation and expressed the opinion that an early and satisfactory solution would present many difficulties. As far as Morocco goes, the Resident General assured me that he would pursue a liberal policy energetically even at the risk of being removed.
I took the opportunity of raising with Lacoste three items which, if not properly dealt with, might contribute to the worsening of Franco-American relations.
- 1)
- The case regarding the right of Americans to use U.S. automobile licenses in Morocco in the same way that the French use licenses issued in France. I explained to Lacoste that we wished to avoid having Mr. Humphreys, an American ressortissant in Casablanca, be subjected to the court expenses incurred if this case were brought before the Court of Cassation in Paris. We had on several occasions informally brought to the attention of the Residency in Rabat the U.S. Government’s views regarding our right of most favored nations in such matters, and had been assured that steps would be taken to settle the question out of court. Lacoste said that he would give the matter his attention.
- 2)
- I told Lacoste that our Consulate General in Casablanca had requested me to bring to the Resident General’s attention a trend regarding exchange controls which was causing concern to the American community. Recently several charges of alleged exchange control violations going back as far as 1950–51 had been leveled against American businessmen. Settlements out of court, it was reported, had been requested by local officials. I pointed out that we hoped that rather than a stiffening of exchange regulations the French would move forward toward a more liberal system culminating eventually in free convertibility. The Resident General said he would investigate this question.
- 3)
- The raising of the ceiling on our troops in Morocco which had been the subject of great concern to General Glantzberg during my conversation [Page 653] with him was the third item which I discussed at length with Lacoste. The Resident General was fully aware of this problem which had already been brought to his attention on several previous occasions by American civilian and military officials. He said that he personally had no objection to the increase in the number of operational trainees provided they were quartered on the already established bases. He would not approve of having small groups of American military personnel spread around the country for obvious political reasons. Lacoste made it clear, however, that this was a matter for decision by the French Government in Paris and ventured to say that no satisfaction would be given the American Air Force until the Status of Forces Agreement had been signed. He further remarked that he could not take the initiative in pressing our wishes, for he would be told by Paris in no uncertain terms that this subject was not his responsibility. He did promise to support our point of view, however, if consulted, provided of course his above-mentioned caveat was respected.
- This memorandum of conversation was transmitted to the Department of State as an enclosure to despatch 123 from Tangier, Sept. 10, 1954. (771.00/9–1054)↩