651.116/337

Memorandum by the Under Secretary of State (Castle)

The French Ambassador came to see me with M. Garreau-Dombasle, to ask about the negotiations as to the quota. Both men seemed to feel that the matter was practically settled with the concessions that the French would make. I told them it was not settled, [Page 227] but that I appreciated the good spirit with which the French Government had gone into it. I told him that we had already telegraphed Mr. Edge saying that certain points appeared to be settled, but that other points were not yet settled and insisting that he push for a definition of the method of imposing the quota which should be the same for all products. I told him that we had made very reasonable proposals, that we were not absolutely adamant on all the details, but that we did feel the matter would not be in the least settled until the French Government was willing to fix a definite standard and method of assessing the quota. The Ambassador seemed to feel that this might be difficult, since one part of it had been done for a long time by the Department of Agriculture and the rest of it was in another Department. I told him that after all it was one government and that it seemed obvious that the two departments ought to be able to play together, especially when it would appear that an agreement would be advantageous to both. They promised to telegraph urging that the French do their best to accept our point of view.

W. R. Castle, Jr.