TANGIER ZONE.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 65, Issue 280, 6 September 1945, Page 5

TANGIER ZONE.

ALLIED ORDER TO SPAIN. NEW CONFERENCE TO MEET (N,Z. Press Association—Copyright.) LONDON, Sept. 4. “The Spanish Government must evacuate the Tangier zone,’’ states an official communique issued after the conference in Paris between Britain, America, France and Russia on the future of Tangier. The communique adds: “The soverign rights of the Sultau will be re-established and international administration will be restored on the basis, of the 1923 Convention, which was modified in 1928. The Russians and Americans will be invited to participate in the administration. The regime thus established will be provisional and will remain in force until the conclusion of the new convention by the Powers who were signatories to the Algeciras Act. To this end an international conference of Powers signatory to the Algeciras Act will be called in due course. Most of the London political commentators interpret the phrase, “in due course” in the official communique as meaning that a conference will not be called until there is a Government in Spain with which the United Nations is prepared to negotiate. “Finally, the international conference of the Powers which were signatories to the Algeciras Act, will be called with a view to studying modifications to the Tangier Statute, which may be proposed by one or other of these Powers.” Spain Loses All. The British and French ambassadors to Madrid to-day informed the Spanish Government of the Allied decision. Reuter’s Paris correspondent says that under the new agreement, Spain will lose all —or even more —than she gained by occupying Tangier after the fall of France. Qualified authorities disclosed that the pattern for the new Government of Tangier provides! that France and Spain will each have four representatives in the Legislative Assembly, and one each on the Control Commission Britain, America and Russia each has three representatives in the Assembly, but it is not clear yet what voice they will have in the Control Commission. The American Press points out that it will be the first time that America and Russia have had peacetime representation in the Mediterranean. Spain was one of the 12 signatories of the Algeciras Act mentioned in the Paris communique about Tangier, but the diplomatic correspondent of “The Times” says it may be assumed that if General Franco remains in office the projected conference of the Algeciias Powers will meet without a Spanish representative. He adds that to this extent, therefore, General Franco has been served with a new notice to quit. “The Times',” in a leading article says the Powers represented at the Paris conference are not prepared to confer with General Franco’s Government, but if a new Government is established in Spain it would be invited to participate.