611.1631/142
The Secretary of State to the Minister in El Salvador ( Corrigan )
Sir: The receipt is acknowledged of your despatches Nos. 618 and 637 of March 5, 1936, and March 26, 1936, respectively.10
[Page 564]The Department has given preliminary examination to the table enclosed in despatch No. 618 listing progress made to date on Schedule I. The showing made is considered very creditable and I wish to commend you and Secretary Cochran for the thorough way in which you have conducted the negotiations thus far.
The Interdepartmental Committee which examined the table referred to above was of the opinion that you should not yet abandon your efforts to obtain some duty reduction on lard, flour and lumber in view of the importance of these products in our export trade in general. The Committee was influenced in making this recommendation by the very high duty rates now affecting lard and flour and by the fact that El Salvador does not appear to be in any sense self-sufficient so far as these two staples are concerned. The Department is well aware of the opposition to be expected in further discussion of concessions on these products but wishes you to exhaust every effort to obtain some adjustment of these rates.
With regard to the detailed remarks concerning nomenclature in despatch No. 618,1 believe that it will be more satisfactory if final revision be postponed until agreement on Schedule I is definite enough to permit a tentative schedule to be drawn up. Only a few suggestions concerning the nomenclature will, therefore, be made at this time. One concerns the desirability of eliminating the word “pure” in describing a possible concession on hog lard. The Department is informed that use of this word might possibly lead to difficulties of interpretation. The proposed translation of corn starch is believed to be somewhat inadequate and the Legation may find it desirable to add the word “maicena” after “Almidón de maiz”. An alternative would be to insert the words “edible or inedible”.
Accurate information is not available covering Salvadoran imports of sanitary ware of the type described in the concession proposed by El Salvador. You are, therefore, requested to ascertain the position of the United States in this trade and to forward the respective import statistics to the Department.
Referring to the questions raised on pages 3 and 4 of your despatch No. 637, I am enclosing copies of memoranda11 on milk products and phonograph records which are believed to be self-explanatory.
In an effort to expedite the negotiations, it is suggested that you again urge the Salvadoran Government to submit a draft Schedule II as well as any suggestions which it may have on the general provisions in order that these matters may be studied by the Department.
Very truly yours,