662.116/160: Telegram
The Ambassador in Germany (Dodd) to the Secretary of State
[Received September 22—3 p.m.]
148. Your 113, September 20, 1 p.m. Foreign Office today informed the Embassy orally as follows:
The Yugoslav quota17 is not based on imports over any past period but merely resulted arbitrarily from the negotiations.
An 8,000 ton quota is available to Yugoslavia for the period from September 24, 1933, to July 31, 1934, and beginning with August 1, 1934, the same quota is available annually.
The United States will receive an equal quota but it cannot be granted a quota based on the proportionate share of past trade. In this connection the opinion was bluntly and forcibly expressed by the Foreign Office that if the United States claim for a proportionate quota should come before an international tribunal it would be decided adversely to the United States and it was evident that the Foreign Office felt sure of Germany’s right to fix quotas on an equal rather than on a proportionate basis.
To obtain customs clearance for the United States prune quota the Embassy was asked to conform with the action required from Yugoslavia by also sending note to Foreign Office designating two customs offices through which it is desired that prunes be cleared. Our appropriate consulates have suggested designating customs offices in Hamburg and Bremen.
Please instruct Embassy as to sending such a note.
- Prune import quota.↩