641.67n3/17

The Chargé in Italy (Kirk) to the Secretary of State

No. 1646

Sir: With reference to the Department’s instruction No. 729 of September 10, 1932,28 regarding a proposal of the British Government [Page 36] to grant a preference to Palestinian products, I have the honor to inform the Department that the substance of the Department’s communication to the British Chargé d’Affaires ad interim at Washington was brought to the attention of the appropriate official of the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and that the official in question has communicated to me the following observations on the matter:

Several months ago the British Embassy in Rome addressed to the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs representations analogous to those made by the British Embassy at Washington to the Department of State, but the representations made by the British Embassy here were limited to questions affecting Palestine only. The Italian Government replied to these representations to the effect that Palestine as a mandate territory should be considered as a foreign State even in so far as Great Britain was concerned, and that, consequently, all customs facilities granted by Great Britain to Palestinian produces should be automatically extended to products of the States, such as Italy, with which England is bound by the most-favored-nation clause. No communication has been received by the Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs from the British Embassy in Rome as regards other territories under British mandate, but it would seem to the Ministry, however, that the position of the latter territories should not be regarded as different from that of Palestine.

Respectfully yours,

Alexander C. Kirk
  1. See footnote 25, p. 34.