611.1631/143

The Minister in El Salvador ( Corrigan ) to the Secretary of State

No. 654

Sir: I have the honor to inform the Department that I today sought and obtained an interview with President Martinez, for the purpose of enlisting his aid in concluding the conversations and negotiations relative to the proposed trade agreement.

During my last discussion of this matter with the President (see this Legation’s despatch No. 637 of March 26, 1936), he requested a comparative study of the tariffs applied by the neighboring countries to the articles on which El Salvador is to grant concessions. This table, which was prepared with the assistance of the Legations in Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua, was presented to the President at the beginning of the interview. He studied the memorandum carefully, and it was pointed out to him that in no case was El Salvador lowest in its rate of duty, even after granting the concessions so far approved.

The President was told that the tentative list of concessions, and the suggested general provisions, had been in the hands of the Comisión Financier a for some three weeks, and the hope was expressed that he would help to bring its studies to a conclusion in the near future, in order that final action might be taken, inasmuch as the Government had now practically determined its position with regard to Schedule I. The President agreed with this latter statement, and promised to lend his support to speedy termination of the negotiations.

Other subjects, which were discussed with the President at the same interview, will be reported in separate despatches.

Respectfully yours,

Frank P. Corrigan