800.6354/367: Telegram

The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Winant) to the Secretary of State

3315. Embassy’s 1924, April 17, 3142, June 5,12 Department’s 2674, June 11.

(1) At meeting International Tin Committee today representatives of Malayan, Nigerian, Dutch and Belgian Congo Governments agreed to renewal International Tin Agreement as of January 1st 1942; if necessary without Bolivian assent. No communiqué will be issued.

Your representative confined his statement to instruction given in second section of Department’s 2674.

(2) At opening of meeting Pearce, representative of Bolivia, informed Committee that he had not received any instruction from the Bolivian Government and therefore was not in a position to make any statement as to Bolivian attitude concerning renewal.

Towards close of meeting Chargé d’Affaires of Bolivian Legation here personally appeared at Committee room and delivered to chairman a telegraphic message—which he said had just been received—stating that Legation would be authorized to sign new tin agreement when new price arrangements with United States of America have been formally concluded.13

(3) When new tin agreement is formally signed14 it will be necessary for Governments concerned to reappoint delegations. Committee will then convene to elect a chairman and to validate all actions taken since December 31 last.15

Winant
  1. Telegram No. 3142, June 5, not printed.
  2. See vol. v, section under Bolivia entitled “Negotiation for the Purchase by the United States of Strategic Materials from Bolivia.”
  3. Signed for the Governments of Belgium, Bolivia, the United Kingdom, and the Netherlands, September 9, 1942; for text, see League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. ccv, p. 137, or British Cmd. 6396, Treaty Series No. 9 (1942).
  4. The new Committee met for the first time on September 28, 1942.