611.5131/683
The Chargé in France (Whitehouse) to
the Secretary of State
Paris, November 4,
1927.
[Received November 14.]
No. 7999
Sir: I have the honor to enclose a copy of the
French text of the note of November 2, 1927, from the French Government,
concerning the situation raised by the new French tariff and the
proposed negotiations for a commercial treaty, together with the
Embassy’s translation thereof as transmitted in my telegram No. 427,
November 2, 8 p.m.1
I have [etc.]
[Enclosure—Translation]
The French Ministry for
Foreign Affairs to the American
Embassy
The French Government has taken note with satisfaction of the aide-memoire which the Embassy of the United
States presented to it on October 24, 1927.2 It is happy to find therein the assurances
by virtue of which it can shortly open negotiations for a permanent
treaty and grant to the products of the United States, pending these
negotiations, the provisional regime on which the experts of the two
countries have just agreed.
In order to avoid any lack of precision and misunderstanding with
respect to these assurances, the French Government feels it
opportune to recall them, indicating at the same time its
interpretation thereof:
- 1.
- The Government of the United States agrees that its Tariff
Commission may, in conformity with the procedure governing
inquiries as to cost of production initiated by the
application of Section 315 of the Tariff Act, receive claims
presented by any person, corporation or association, or in
their name. The American Government is likewise disposed to
transmit to its Tariff Commission requests submitted to it
by the French Government in the name of its producers and
consumers.
- 2.
- The Government of the United States declares itself
prepared to examine in the most friendly spirit all claims
submitted by the French Government concerning regulations of
a sanitary nature affecting agricultural and pharmaceutical
products, as well as all other import formalities in which
are included the conditions and methods of passing
[Page 699]
merchandise
through the customs. The French Government, moreover,
assures the Government of the United States that it will
examine with the same good will the claims of American
exporters which may be submitted to it by the American
Government.
- 3.
- The French Government takes note with particular
satisfaction of the assurance of the Government of the
United States that no investigation will henceforth be made
by the representatives of the American Government upon
French territory involving the examination of books and
private documents belonging to French producers,
manufacturers, or businessmen. The French Government
believes that in lieu of these investigations the American
Tariff Commission will be willing to take into due
consideration any communication relating to the cost of
production of French products which may be sent to it by the
French Government or transmitted under its
responsibility.
- 4.
- The French Government does not feel it necessary, with
respect to the suppression of the countervailing duties
recently put into force by the American Treasury Department
by way of carrying out the Law of 1922, to ask for other
assurances than those contained in the American note of
October 24th and which the French Government interprets as
promising a return to the situation existing prior to that
which was created by the French Decree of August 30th. It
would indeed not be equitable that, the United States being
restored to a situation more favorable than that which
existed prior to September 6th last, French products should
not regain all the advantages which they previously
enjoyed.
As soon as the Government of the United States shall have been good
enough to declare that no divergence exists concerning the questions
hereinabove restated, the French Government will immediately put
into application by decree the provisional regime resulting from the
agreement of the experts. The French Government desires to point out
that this provisional regime constitutes a distinct gain for the
United States since, as a result, the most-favored-nation treatment
will be granted to 471 American products of especial importance
which heretofore were subject to intermediary duties and since for
all the other American products affected by the Decree of August
30th the former discrimination is reduced to such an extent that in
many cases it is no longer appreciable.
When the provisional regime shall have been thus established, the
French Government is ready to take up the negotiation of the treaty
of commerce without awaiting the results of the investigations and
deliberations relative to Points 1 and 2 above set forth, but, as
obliged by its legislation, the French Government must again point
out clearly that the conclusion of the treaty could not take place
before the result of these investigations and deliberations are
known to the French Government and allow it to judge from the
situation created for French exportation to the United States the
terms which it itself can extend to American products imported into
France.
