711.923/130
Memorandum by the Secretary of State
The Minister of Siam called on me on April 17th and left a communication dated April 17, 1920 in continuation of the Minister’s reply of March 6th to the letter of the Acting Secretary of State relating to the retrocession to Siam of the jurisdiction over Americans now exercised by the United States Consul in Siam.
The Minister also inquired if a statement of this country’s position might be expected soon on the abandonment of the privilege of exportation to Siam under a restriction of Siam as to the amount of tariff duties which the latter could levy and collect.
He called attention to the fact that the United States, if it led the way in releasing Siam from the limitations on import duties it can impose, would not itself be exposed to disadvantage because Siam would agree that the United States should always have the benefit of the “most favored nation” clause and could never be under-sold by a competitor nation which might not agree to pursue a course as liberal as that of the United States.