811.612 Grapes–Spain/178
Memorandum by the Under Secretary of State (Castle)
The Spanish Ambassador came, at my request, and I handed him the note about Spanish grapes.24 I told him that we should be glad to know, as soon as convenient, whether the Spanish Government would like to have an investigator from the Department of Agriculture go over to examine the situation as to infestation of the grapes in Spain. I said that such investigator would not go until September as it was necessary to be there during the harvest, but that we should be glad to be told as soon as possible whether he was wanted.
I also told the Ambassador that, in making the definite statement that, if a process of refrigeration or any other process were found which would so clearly prevent infestation that American fruits from Hawaii could be brought into this country, the same process under the same conditions would be extended to Spanish fruits, the Department of Agriculture had gone a long way. I told the Ambassador that I did not see how it would be possible for any Department of the Government to offer to a foreign country more advantageous terms than were given to a part of the United States itself. The Ambassador said that he saw this and that he felt this stand ought to have a very good effect with the Spanish Government.
- Dated June 17; not printed.↩