651.116/293
The Ambassador in France (Edge) to the Secretary of
State
No. 2357
Paris
, March 10, 1932.
[Received March
22.]
Sir: I have the honor to enclose a copy of
an informal communication dated March 10, 1932, directed by me to M.
Rollin, French Minister of
Commerce, which was delivered personally this morning by Mr.
F. W. Allport, Commercial
Attaché of the Embassy. A copy of this letter was likewise
transmitted to the Foreign Office. (See my telegram No. 156, March
10th, 4 p.m.).6
In view of the personal conference I had with M. Rollin, to which reference is made
in the letter, and in view further of the fact that over a month had
elapsed and the representatives of American interests involved had
still been ignored, I felt that this reminder was justified.
[Page 202]
The Department will note that I included in the communication
reference to the threatened quota on the importation of machine
tools, which had been brought to our attention from several local
interests.
Later today, at a luncheon tendered to Mr. Silas H. Strawn by M. Rollin, which I attended, together
with Mr. Allport and Mr.
Howell, First Secretary
of the Embassy, the receipt of the letter was referred to by M.
Rollin with assurance that
he would make every effort to remedy the difficulties.
One of the reasons assigned by M. Rollin in defense of the quota policy was the
existence of a number of bilateral commercial treaties with other
nations, the provisions of which prohibited France from raising
certain existing tariff rates. It was the French contention that
because of this fact, the only way they can keep down imports is to
restrict the totals to be received.
M. Rollin’s chief explanation
of the failure of the French authorities to invite representatives
of American industries affected by proposed quotas into consultation
was that the quotas concerned principally commodities upon which
there were consolidated tariffs due to treaty arrangements with
various countries and that the consultations had been primarily with
representatives of the industries of those particular countries.
During the course of the conversation, I indicated to M. Rollin that we were quite ready, and
had been for a long time, to negotiate a commercial treaty on the
most-favored-nation basis, which was the only method we felt as fair
to other nations. He indicated that it would give him great pleasure
to explore the possibilities and made it quite clear that the
various types of treaties which France had with different nations
had, as already explained, greatly added to his difficulties.
Respectfully yours,
[Enclosure]
The American Ambassador (Edge) to the French Minister of
Commerce (Rollin)
My Dear Mr. Minister: May I recall to
your mind the friendly and helpful conversation that took place
between us on January 28th, concerning import quotas in general
and the radio quota in particular.
At that time I took occasion to comment on the fact that an
increasing number of the quotas that France is establishing on
imported products, including several of outstanding importance
from the [Page 203] standpoint of
American interests, are apparently arrived at through an
exchange of views between the French industry primarily
concerned and the corresponding industries of other countries in
which American industries have not been invited to take
part.
I gained the impression from our talk that the failure to consult
with American industries concerned is not the result of policy
but rather of a mistaken impression on the part of the
authorities occupied with these measures that the difficulty of
establishing the necessary contact with American industry was
too great to be overcome.
I have been informed that American industries desire to
participate in consultations prior to the determination of
import quotas affecting them and would welcome an opportunity to
do so. I am advised that they are prepared collectively to
select and empower certain of their distributors in France to
act for them in preliminary quota conversations. The
representatives thus selected may also wish to avail themselves
of the assistance of the American Chamber of Commerce in France
in this connection, as I understand local representatives of
American companies have, upon their own initiative, already done
in connection with quota measures believed to be under
consideration by the French Government.
If these suggestions meet with your approval it would appear
desirable to give due notice of contemplated quota measures in
ample time to enable the interests concerned to confer, and to
designate and instruct the representatives of the industry in
France who are to act for them. The Commercial Attaché at this
Embassy would be pleased to transmit such notice to the industry
concerned if you so desire.
I hope you will agree with me that the interests of both French
and American trades would be better served if representatives of
the industries of the United States can be given the same
consideration that is extended to the affected industries of
other countries in the preparation of the French import quotas.
It is with this thought in mind that I venture the suggestions
contained in the foregoing.
I have been recently advised that it is planned to introduce a
quota on the import of machine tools within the near future and
that representatives of the German and British machine tool
interests have been invited to participate in its preparation. I
am informed that representatives of the American machine tool
industry have not been invited to take part in these preliminary
discussions nor has their point of view been officially
consulted as yet by the French authorities charged with the
preparation of this measure.
I take the liberty of inviting Your Excellency’s attention to the
substantial interest that American manufacturers of machine
tools [Page 204] have in the
French machine tool market and to the importance that an import
quota on these products would have from their standpoint.
I understand that the American Machine Tool Builders’
Association, the competent organization in this connection, has
appointed a Committee to deal specifically with the question of
the proposed French import quota and is prepared, without delay,
to empower certain representatives of the American industry in
France to speak on its behalf in any hearings that the French
authorities may wish to arrange.
May I take this occasion, my dear Mr. Minister, to express again
my deep appreciation of the sympathetic consideration you have
always given to the problems of Franco-American trade.
With assurances [etc.]
