Office of the Historian

196. Telegram From the Embassy in France to the Department of State1

Paris, July 12, 1956—6 p.m.

195. Re Embtel 191.2 Following is text delivered by Ambassador to Massigli July 12.

“By note dated July 7, 1956, the Moroccan Government formally requested the United States Government to make available to it the texts of the Franco-American base agreements of December 1950.3 The United States Government considers that the French Government, rather than itself, should transmit these texts to the Moroccan Government. It is also the view of the United States Government that these texts should be delivered promptly to the Moroccan Government. As the French Government is aware, it has always been the position of the United States Government that the Moroccan Government should be informed of these agreements. Accordingly, the United States Government intends to reply to the Moroccan Government stating that the French Government will soon deliver the texts.

It is understood that the French Government plans to transmit the texts to the Moroccan Government under cover of a note along the following lines: (1) the French Government, with the agreement of the United States Government, is hereby transmitting to the Moroccan Government the texts of the December 1950 agreements on the bases in Morocco; (2) the French Government is prepared to furnish any supplementary information which the Moroccan Government may desire; and (3) the Agreements of 1950 are confidential in character. Such a covering note is acceptable to the United States Government.4

Regarding the matters raised in the French Government’s communication of May 26, 1956,5 the United States Government wishes to state the following:

(1)
The basic United States position is that the agreements of December 1950 are valid and binding on the Government of France and Morocco.
(2)
The United States currently has no plans whatsoever to offer aid toward the organization and equipment of the Moroccan forces. Should the Moroccan Government approach the United States regarding military aid, we will inform the French Government promptly.
(3)
The United States Government will not initiate negotiations with the Moroccan Government at this time concerning the base agreements. However, the United States Government desires to be informed in advance of any French-Moroccan negotiations affecting United States interests in the bases and the intended object and substance of these negotiations”.

Dillon
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 711.56371/7–1256. Secret. Repeated to Rabat.↩
  2. Telegram 191, July 12, reported Massigli’s statement that France would not object to the United States informing Morocco that the French would soon provide them with the texts of the base agreements. (Ibid.)↩
  3. Balafrej gave Porter the note on July 8. (Telegram 22 from Rabat; Ibid., 711.56371/7–856)↩
  4. Pineau gave the Moroccan Ambassador to France the texts of the December 1950 base agreements on July 16. Balafrej, however, asked Porter for copies of the technical agreements which had not been provided. The Embassy informed the French Foreign Ministry of this approach and urged the French to comply. Dillon reported in telegram 408 from Paris, July 24, that the French would probably proceed to make the 1951 technical agreements plus annexes and perhaps the 1947 Port Lyautey agreement available to the Moroccans. (Ibid., 711.56371/7-2456)↩
  5. See Document 192.↩