File No. 837.61351/83a
The Acting Secretary of State to the United States Food Administrator ( Hoover)
Sir: The Department of State has received, under date of January 11, an informal inquiry from your office as to whether the official approval of the Department would be given to the preliminary and confidential copy of the agreement which it was understood was entered into between the International Sugar Committee of the United States Food Administration, the Cuban commission, the Cuban committee for arranging commercial terms appointed by the President of the Republic of Cuba, agents of various Cuban producers acting severally for the producers of sugar in the island of Cuba, and the Royal commission on the sugar supply, and refiners of sugar in the United States.
In reply to the above inquiry I wish to inform you that, in view of the fact that, pursuant to your request, the Cuban Minister was informed on November 8 that, respecting the price for Cuban sugar, it appeared that the matter was one for determination between buyers and sellers with as little Government intervention as possible, this Department can not see its way clear to make any statement in regard to the agreement in question.
I am [etc.]