837.61351/4574
The Ambassador in Cuba (Braden) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 5.]
Sir: I have the honor to enclose herewith copy and translation of a letter85 from Dr. Ramón Zaydín, Prime Minister of Cuba, with reference to the molasses-alcohol negotiations. This communication is in reply to the Embassy’s letter of January 22, 1944 (please see despatch No. 5778 of January 24, 194486), and although dated January 26 it was not delivered until the evening of January 29, that is, only a few hours before the arrival of the American Commission.87
Dr. Zaydín accepts the suggestion for the resumption of the negotiations and states that they will be on the following bases:
- 1.
- Negotiations for the sale of blackstrap and alcohol shall “comprise a single negotiation.”
- 2.
- “Around 50,000,000 gallons” of blackstrap will be offered “at the price to be discussed in the negotiations.” (In other words, there is no recognition of the fact that our offer of 13.6 cents per gallon for blackstrap is an acceptance of the highest price hitherto suggested by the Cubans.)
- 3.
- Reference to 90,000,000 gallons of blackstrap allegedly required by the Cuban domestic market, and possibly more in the event of an exchange of gas oil for gasoline. (Dr. Zaydín’s letter refers to an exchange of gas oil for molasses, but this is assumed to be an error.)
- 4.
- “Sale of alcohol and maintenance of the liquor market.”
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Respectfully yours,
- Not printed.↩
- Not printed; the letter presented to the Cuban Government the substance of airgram A–127, supra, with the exception that the minimum sale of blackstrap molasses presented for consideration by Cuba was 75,000,000 rather than 60,000,000 gallons. (837.61351/4538).↩
- For members of this Commission, see last paragraph of airgram A–127, supra.↩