611.8331/25: Telegram
The Minister in Egypt ( Gunther ) to the Secretary of State
[Received February 7—4 p.m.]
22. Your 12, February 6, 5 p.m. I perceive no objection to informing the Egyptian Government before February 16 as set forth in quoted portion of your telegram.
[Paraphrase.] However, in order that the door may be kept open entirely and believing that, as a matter of record, a written reservation in this case would be preferable to representations orally, may I suggest embodying the penultimate paragraph of your telegram 12 in the note to be addressed by me to the Egyptian Minister for Foreign Affairs prior to February 16 and, furthermore, adding after the words “with the understanding that” (see last sentence of your verbatim communication) a clause to the following effect: [End paraphrase.]
“The proposed tariff will be tentative for a year at least and open to downward revision in the wisdom of the Royal Egyptian Government if practical effects should prove so prejudicial to American interests as to warrant official representations.”
I have as yet received no official communication in this matter from the Egyptian Government.