837.61351/311
The Ambassador in France (Herrick) to
the Secretary of State
Paris, November 23,
1921.
[Received December 10.]
No. 822
Sir: With reference to the Department’s
instruction No. 50, of September 6, 1921,99 transmitting a copy of a note from the Minister
of Cuba regarding the possible sale of Cuban raw sugar to Germany [Page 806] to be refined in Germany and
delivered to France on reparation account, I have the honor to transmit
herewith a copy and translation of the reply received from the Foreign
Office.
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure—Translation]
The French Ministry for
Foreign Affairs to the American
Embassy
Paris, November 19,
1921.
Referring to its note of September 26th last, the Ministry for
Foreign Affairs has the honor to inform the Embassy of the United
States that the French Government has submitted to the most
favorable examination the suggestion relative to the importation
into France, under the head of Reparations, of Cuban raw sugar,
refined in Germany.
The competent services have called attention to the fact, in this
connection, that owing to the devastation of the French Departments
which were given to the culture of beetroot and the manufacture of
sugar, French refineries, which have about maintained their capacity
for production, suffer from lack of occupation. There would,
therefore, be objections from the point of view of the general
interest of French industry, to favoring a combination which would
assure to the German refineries the benefit of a work which French
factories could eventually take charge of, if French industry were
to receive from the Sales Commission of Cuban sugars advantageous
offers.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs is very willing, in case it should
be necessary, to call the attention of qualified representatives of
French industry to offers of this sort which might be transmitted on
the part of the above mentioned Sales Commission.
