The Secretary of State to the Spanish Minister.
Washington, February 20, 1909.
Sir: In order to meet the wishes of your Government in the matter of the extension to Spain of the authorized reduction in the tariff duties of the United States on Spanish sparkling wines, and in order to remove any possible ground for the exercise by your Government of the right under Article III of the commercial agreement signed between the two countries on August 1, 1906, to rescind any of its concessions made therein to the United States, I have the honor to inform you that the President of the United States deems the concessions made by Spain in favor of the products and manufactures of the United States as reciprocal and equivalent to the grant by the Government of the United States of the reduced duties on all the articles of Spanish production and exportation enumerated in section 3 of the tariff act of the United States approved July 24, 1897.
I have therefore the honor to inform you that the President of the United States will issue his proclamation suspending the duties on sparkling wines produced in and exported from Spain and substituting therefor the reduced duties authorized by section 3 of the Dingley tariff.
I should be glad to be informed by you as to whether this action, supplementary to the agreement of August 1, 1906, will meet completely the wishes of your Government in the matter.
Accept, etc.,
Señor Don Ramon Piña,
Minister of Spain.