611.5231/278: Telegram
The Ambassador in Spain (Moore) to the Secretary of State
[Received October 9—1:02 a.m.]
90. Following note received today from President of Spanish Military Directory:
“Putting into writing that which we previously discussed I inform you that I am disposed to agree to defer for six months the aforesaid date of expiration so that the commercial agreement at present in force shall expire on the 5th of May, 1924, or on such previous date as a lasting treaty meanwhile negotiated might be enforced.
Nevertheless such temporary extension of the present [arrangement?] must be conditional on the following:
- 1.
- The most-favored-nation clause carried by the present treaty shall be understood in a limited sense so that it shall only allow the United States to claim such advantages as they at present actually obtain thereby, but not to obtain any advantages which any other country might secure from Spain during the time of the extension of the validity of the present arrangement and consequent upon commercial agreements which are at present not yet enforced.
- 2.
- Within the aforesaid period of extension there shall be opened and be brought to a conclusion between Spain and the United States adequate negotiations for a new and lasting commercial treaty. To facilitate the success of such negotiations the President of the United States, availing himself of the faculties conferred upon him by section 315a of the United States customs tariff, shall order immediately, and to be completed within the shortest possible period of time, the investigations necessary to determine whether the duty which such tariff establishes on vegetable preserves, liquorice extract, dried almonds, olives, olive oil, cork stoppers, onions, pepper, castile soap, saffron, fish preserves, pistols, revolvers and natural mineral waters, should be considered excessive in view of the conditions of production of such articles in Spain as well as in the United States and if such be the case, shall lower the duties in the proportion necessary to balance whatever differences may be shown in the conditions under which the aforesaid products are produced in the one country and in the other.
- 3.
- There shall be authorized the importation either in unlimited quantities or in a fixed contingent to be determined later of Spanish wines for scientific, medicinal, and sacramental purposes.
- 4.
- Spanish vessels may enter the ports of the United States or its possessions or pass in transit through the waters under its jurisdiction carrying cargoes of wines consigned to any other country as [Page 867] likewise wine intended for the consumption of the passengers and crews. With respect to the aforesaid cargoes there might be adopted the guarantee of sealing them in order to secure them from unloading during which [such?] time as the vessels would remain in waters under the jurisdiction of the United States.”
The Spanish Government requests immediate answer. Please instruct me.