611.5231/674: Telegram

The Chargé in Spain (Crosby) to the Acting Secretary of State

36. Calderon has just handed me an official note signed by the Undersecretary of State requesting amplification of the list of articles for which we desire most-favored-nation treatment which I delivered to the Ministry of State in pursuance of the instructions contained in your telegram No. 27 of April 21, 2 p.m. He said that in view of the negotiations now pending between his Government and various countries on the basis of the granting of most-favored-nation treatment to determine lists of articles, the Ministry is of [Page 542] the opinion that it would be more convenient if our original list should contain as far as possible all the articles for which we might conceivably desire most-favored-nation treatment so as to avoid frequent submission of additional lists of articles for which we might desire most-favored-nation treatment in the future, although we might submit such additional lists at any time if necessary.

Calderon told me that once the Ministry of State has received our new list the matter will immediately be taken up with the Ministry of Agriculture to bring it to a satisfactory conclusion by the publication in the Gaceta de Madrid of a statement to the effect that the United States has been accorded most-favored-nation treatment on the articles enumerated. He added that probably a week to 10 days would elapse from the receipt of our list before publication in the Gaceta would take place.

For my information, Calderon stated that he had received information that the course of the negotiations in Washington concerning the Spanish grievances were progressing in a most unsatisfactory manner for Spain and pointed out the difficulties he had encountered and was likely to encounter with the Ministry of Agriculture for this reason.

Spanish imports from the United States are shown in Spanish statistics of exports and imports, copies of which may be found in the Department of Commerce, and I believe that our list, which Calderon suggests consists of the Spanish tariff numbers only as was the case with the Spanish-Italian treaty (see my despatch 665 of April 4, 193216), should include all the articles which we have exported to Spain for the past 5 years. If authorized by you I can compile such a list in conjunction with Commercial Attaché here.

Copy and translation of note in next pouch.

Crosby
  1. Not printed.