641.67n3/2

The British Ambassador (Lindsay) to the Secretary of State

No. 232

Sir: I have the honour under instructions from His Majesty’s Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs,20 to inform you that the question of extending Imperial preference to Palestine under Clause 5 (2) of the Import Duties Act of 193221 has recently been under consideration by His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom, and that His Majesty’s Government propose to grant a preference to Palestinian produce imported into the United Kingdom.

2.
His Majesty’s Government desire to enquire whether the United States Government feel any objection to this proposal, though they do not consider that the United States Government would be entitled under the most-favoured nation provisions of the Convention of Commerce between the United Kingdom and the United States signed on July 3rd, 181522 to claim that Imperial preference should also be extended to goods the produce or manufacture of the United [Page 30] States. At the same time it is of course not proposed that the Government of Palestine should grant a preference to British produce imported into Palestine.
3.
I am to add that as regards the degree of preference to be accorded to Palestine it is proposed to grant the preference which is accorded to goods consigned from and grown, produced or manufactured, in certain other mandated territories administered by His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom.
4.
I am requested to add that His Majesty’s Government would be grateful for a very early reply to this communication.

I have [etc.]

R. C. Lindsay
  1. Sir John Simon.
  2. 22 & 23 Geo. V, 27.
  3. Hunter Miller (ed.), Treaties and Other International Acts of the United States of America, vol. 2, p. 595.