December 22, 1941
In Tangier, as everybody knows, and in all of Morocco, we have
treaty rights which existed to meet the Treaty of Algeciras, etc. We
have a Minister in Tangier who is the only Minister with diplomatic rank
(others d have consular rank. ) Our Minister is, of course, accredited to
the Sultan of Morocco, in Rabat, and we recognize the French Resident
only as the Sultan's Foreign Minister, and we have never recognized the
Franco-Spanish Treaty of 1912 by which the French gave the Spaniards
their protectorate. In other words, we stand on the Treaty of Algeciras
and our rights in all of Morocco, Spanish and French, and Tangier, which
in our eyes are all still a unit. And I see no reason why, if we are to
attempt action against Tangier, we shouldn't see to it that we are
called upon by the Sultant defend the integrity of his empire, which,
of course, is sorely menaced by the Germans and their stooges, the
Spanish. And, as the State Department realizes, the Germans and the
Spaniards are grooming the former Sultan, who is in Tangier, Abdul Aziz,
to supplant the present Sultan in the event of a German-Spanish attack.
Of course, the Sultan is only a creature of the French, and is
entirely in the hands of General Nogues, the French Resident in Rabat.
As the State Department knows, General Nogues was appointed by Blum's
Popular Front Government. He has been under fire from Vichy. Weygand
hated him, because Weygand was afraid that Nogues, Free Mason and reputed
liberal, had strong British sympathies.
Nogues is, of course, an opportumist, and gives lip service to Vichy.
However, to keep himself in power, he has had to exploit his relationship
with the Sultan. The Sultan adores him, and whenever Weygand appeared
in Morocco, the Sultan in his official greetings always managed to mention
Nogues as being the personification of France. Obviously, to have the