662.116 Fruit/16: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Germany (Sackett)
117. Department’s 111, September 19, 2 p.m., and your 189, September 21, noon. This morning’s New York Times carries cable that German Government will introduce next week import quotas on agricultural products and that those most affecting American interests are the quotas on fruit and lard.
Moreover, a telegram received this morning from the International Apple Association states they are advised Cabinet decided to impose this quota at meeting September 21. Has this decision been made? Department assumes that you will continue to exert yourself to obtain as favorable quota treatment as possible for the American export interests, provided the adoption of the quota system cannot be avoided.
The American fruit interests, apples, pears, oranges, peaches and bananas (the latter shipped mainly by the United Fruit Company, [Page 362] American owned) are particularly concerned over this quota move. They point out that any restrictions of this nature will be serious blow to American apple and pear industries and that as Germany has short crop both apples and pears American exporters would have favorable outlet this year unless prevented by restrictions. The export of apples and pears especially has been developed with great hopefulness and the trade has already been made to suffer most serious injury by foreign restrictions of this nature in other countries.
In this general connection please see again first paragraph Department’s 111, September 19, 1932.
Please report.