File No. 611.3731/20.
The American Minister to the Secretary of State.
Habana, March 16, 1911.
Sir: While referring to the Department’s telegrams of the 4th and 15th instant, and to mine of the 5th and 11th, I have the honor to report that I called at the Cuban foreign office this morning and informed Secretary Sanguily that—
The American Government assumes that Cuba will maintain the preferential reduction in favor of sugar imported from the United States, as provided by the reciprocity treaty, and will not extend the preferential treatment to sugar from any third country even if the signatory powers should invoke article 5 of the Brussels Convention to claim it.
On receiving my communication Sr. Sanguily said that he would study the question carefully and would inform me as to his views as soon as practicable, after considering Cuba’s obligations with especial reference to Article VIII of the commercial convention (reciprocity treaty) of December 11, 1902.
I have, etc.,