A.—2

Enclosure. His Majesty's Government have insisted for many years past that Tangier, as one of the principal gateways into Africa and the East, should be permanently neutralized and placed under an international regime giving equality of commercial opportunity for all nations. In all the Moorish treaties since 1904 which His Majesty's Government have signed or to which they have adhered it is laid down that a special regime should be established at Tangier. After the signature of the Franco-Moorish Protectorate Treaty and the Franco-Spanish Agreement in 1912 negotiations for the establishment of this special regime at Tangier were begun between the British, French, and Spanish Governments. After prolonged negotiations a statute providing for a genuinely international regime at Tangier was drawn up by the three negotiators. The British and French Governments were prepared to sign the statute in the summer of 1914, but the outbreak of war relegated the whole question into the background. After the war a solution of the Tangier question was delayed owing to difficulty in finding an acceptable basis for the resumption of negotiations under the changed conditions which followed the signature of the Treaty of Versailles. This difficulty was removed at a preliminary meeting of French, Spanish, and British experts in London last October, and was immediately followed by the Conference which has just been successfully concluded in Paris. The following are the main provisions of the new Convention :— The permanent neutrality of the Tangier zone is assured in the most categorical and comprehensive terms. Economic equality between the Powers shall continue to be observed at Tangier, even if existing commercial treaties with Morocco are denounced. No international treaty concluded in the future by the Sultan of Morocco shall apply to Tangier without the consent of the International Assembly. The establishment of an International Administration at Tangier naturally involves the suppression of the capitulations. Those Natives who have been accorded foreign protection will be justiciable before the European Mixed Courts and not the Native Courts. All Shereefian property in the Tangier zone will be handed over to the International Administration. An exception is made in the case of the Sultan's palace and of three buildings destined to house the Sultan's representative and his offices. Moroccan francs and Spanish pesetas continue to be legal tender in Tangier. The Sultan will be represented at Tangier by a " Mendoub," who will be entrusted with the administration of the Natives. In order to avoid the possibility of political agitation or the residence of undesirables at Tangier the Mendoub has the power of expulsion. He may, however, only expel a European on the demand of the latter's Consul or of the mixed tribunal. The Mendoub is responsible for the collection of taxes from the Natives, and failure to do so is a contravention of the statute. The Government of Tangier, except in so far as the administration of the Natives is concerned, will be in the hands of a Committee of Control and an International Legislative Assembly. The Committee of Control will consist of the eight Consular Officers of the Powers signatory of the Act of Algeciras. It will be their duty to ensure the observance of the Tangier statute and to veto any legislation which violates it. The International Assembly will consist of twenty-six members. Of the European members, four will be French, four Spanish, and three British, other signatories of the Act of Algeciras being also represented. The Assembly will have complete legislative authority over the Native and European population. The Native population will be represented in the Assembly by six Musulmans and three Jews, one of each of whom will be nominated by the Spanish Consul. It will thus be impossible for Native members to control the Assembly either alone or in conjunction with the representatives of any other one Power. The Mendoub will be ex officio President of the Assembly, and will be assisted by three Vice-Presidents of French, British, and Spanish nationality. The International Assembly will nominate all administrative officers. For an initial period of six years the Administrator, and his two assistants, will, however, be nominated by the three Governments. In view of the preponderance of French interests and trade, and of the necessity of close co-operation with the French zone during the transition .period, it has been decided that the Administrator should be French. His two assistants will be British and Spanish, the former in charge of financial matters, the latter in charge of hygiene and public works. The Commander of the Gendarmerie will be a Belgian, assisted by French and Spanish officers and N.C.O.s. The Customs and Shereefian Government lands at Tangier are at present in the hands of the " Controle de la Dette," who represent the French holders of the Moorish loans of 1904 and 1910. This body will disappear, as such, under the new regime. The Shereefian Government have, however, guaranteed the interest payable by Tangier on the 1904 and 1910 loans, the Tangier-Fez Railway bonds, and the Tangier Harbour bonds —a total of over 4,000,000 francs a year. The Customs are the chief source of Tangier's revenue, and if they are inefficiently administered Tangier must default and the Shereefian Government would have to pay. It has therefore seemed fair to arrange that the head of the Customs will be nominated by the Shereefian Government. The Customs service will, however, be under the close control of the International Administration : its accounts will be submitted for the approval of the Assembly. The Committee of Control may also by a three-quarters majority vote demand the dismissal of the head of the Customs. The Government lands will come under the International Administration. The Shereefian Government will hand over to the International Administration all rights acquired under the concession granted in 1921 by the Sultan to the Societe Internationale pour le developpement de Tanger. A Committee appointed under the authority of the Committee of Control will ensure economic equality in the working of the port. Both the actual plans and the port concession itself have been largely modified in accordance with British suggestions. The management and working of the port will be genuinely international, and there can be no fear of unfair discrimination.

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