611.0031/448
Memorandum by the Under Secretary of State (Phillips)
The Spanish Ambassador2 called to ask when the President was going to seek authority from Congress to negotiate reciprocal trade agreements. I told him that the draft legislation was nearly completed and that it would go up to the Capitol accompanied by a special message from the President; I did not think that the President had decided precisely when he would send up his message, but presumably within a month; in view of the rapidity of the legislative action on the Hill,3 it seemed possible that Congress might be completing its work by May 15th, although this was purely a personal impression.