Minister Gummeré to the Secretary of State.
Tangier, October 27, 1905.
Sir: I beg to report that the chargé d’affaires of the French legation has been informed that His Majesty the Sultan of Morocco has given his assent to the programme of the conference on Morocco affairs agreed upon between the French and German Governments, and also to the holding of the proposed conference at the small town of Algeciras, which is in Spain, directly across the way from Gibraltar, and only three hours from Tangier by boat.
No intimation of any kind regarding the said conference has been received from the Moorish Government since the invitation to the powers to assist at the same, but the general opinion among my colleagues is that it will be held either about the middle of December or in the early part of January, and that it will not occupy more than two weeks’ time. I am also informed that the British Government will be represented by Sir A. Nicolson, ambassador at Madrid, as he was for nine years British minister at Tangier; the Spanish Government by Mr. de Ojeda, for the same length of time Spanish minister at Tangier; and the French Government by Mr. Revoil, formerly French minister at Tangier. The general opinion among my colleagues is that the other European powers will be represented at the conference by their present representatives at Tangier. Any further information received concerning the conference will be at once reported to the Department.
I am, etc.,