611.6315/1: Telegram (part air)
The Minister in Austria (Earle) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 4—1:05 p.m.]
2. Stockinger, Minister of Commerce, informs me that in order to expand Austrian foreign trade the Government will send special missions abroad. One will soon leave for the Scandinavian countries and within a fortnight another one to the United States. He added that the purpose of this mission was to sell such Austrian goods as did not compete with American and above all not to dump goods.
I am of the opinion that the real purpose of these missions is political; first, to further Austrian independence of Germany and, second, to demonstrate to the Austrian people the Government’s activity in relieving the economic distress.