662.116 Lard/16: Telegram

The Ambassador in Germany ( Dodd ) to the Secretary of State

94. Referring to the Embassy’s No. 91, May 18, 5 p.m., sent on behalf of the Agricultural Attaché, in the course of a conversation with an official of the Foreign Office the latter was obliged to admit that the United States was receiving a lower quota of lard than that originally promised in March and further that the German Government in its treaty with Denmark had formally bound itself to take 60 percent average of the last 3 years (reckoned on German figures) as against the nominal 40 percent granted to the United States which is being whittled down to 35 in May, 29 in June and 28 in July. This admission was made after he had been shown translation of portion of circular addressed by Danish Minister of Agriculture to Danish exporters dated May 5th, published in Land Brugraadets Meddelelser of May 9 and which referred to 60 percent quota fixed by German-Danish [Page 425] Trade Agreement of March 1st last (translations mailed Agriculture and Commerce on 19th).

It would seem that this is a singularly clear-cut violation of the most-favored-nation clause19 such as to warrant energetic representation by the Department.

In view of the excellent illustration which this incident affords of the helplessness of the American Government in the absence of rapidly adjustable tariff rates and also of other considerations the Department might perhaps care to consider giving to the press any protest which it might make on this subject.

Dodd
  1. See article VII of the treaty between the United States and Germany, Foreign Relations, 1923, vol. ii, p. 29.