6 JUNE 1925, Page 2

At last, on June 1st, the new form of international

government has been introduced in Tangier. It is a web of compromises reached by Governments with one major common interest, the peaceable and neutral status of the area, and with innumerable minor conflicting interests. _France, Spain and Great Britain are naturally most concerned. Italy and the United States came into the negotiations or dropped out, without contributing help.. Spain had her own troubles as her excuse for prolonged delays in finally adhering nearly eighteen months after the diplomatic conference in Paris which reached agreement on the steps to be taken. The Sultan of Morocco will remain the nominal sovereign, with a Legislative Assembly, representing natives and foreigners, whose decisions will be carried out by a French Adminis- trator with British and Spanish Assistant-Administrators. British, French and Spanish Judges will preside over Mixed Tribunals. Foreign officers will command a native gendarmerie. Over the Assembly will be a novel body, a Committee of Control, consisting of the Consuls of the Powers that signed the Algeciras Convention, barring, for the present at any rate, the ex-enemy Powers. Tan- gier has not had a happy history of late. We hope that the three nations chiefly responsible will show a real desire to foster its welfare, for they have taken upon themselves the duty uninvited by the people.

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