611.5831/58
Memorandum by the Chief of the Treaty Division (Barnes)
Mr. Gustaf Weidel, Commercial Counselor of the Swedish Legation, called at the Treaty Division this afternoon in regard to the proposed negotiation of a reciprocity agreement between the United States and Sweden. Mr. Weidel said that he was about to leave the United States for a vacation in Sweden but that in view of the Minister’s absence on vacation he had received telegraph instructions from the Foreign Office to remain here in order to discuss the reciprocity negotiations. He inquired particularly as to when the Department would be ready to begin the negotiations and suggested that he be furnished at the Department’s [Page 721] convenience with some suggestions for the consideration of his Government which he might take with him to Sweden a little later.
Mr. Barnes, Mr. Hawkins and Mr. Weidel discussed informally certain articles of trade between the United States and Sweden, making reference to telegram No. 19 of August 11, noon, from the American Legation at Stockholm. It was ascertained by telephone from the Department of Commerce that the trade analysis concerning Sweden which is being prepared in that Department would be ready about September 2.
Mr. Weidel also inquired concerning the most-favored-nation clause. Mr. Barnes informed him that the proposals so far as they had up to this time been developed embraced the inclusion in the reciprocity agreements of the model most-favored-nation clause recommended by the Economic Committee of the League of Nations,3 with perhaps minor variations.
It was agreed that Mr. Barnes would telephone Mr. Weidel in about a week and inform him as to the wishes of the Department with respect to his having another conference with Mr. Barnes or other officials of the Department.
- League of Nations, Economic Committee, Recommendations of the Economic Committee Relating to Tariff Policy and the Most-Favored-Nation Clause (Geneva, February 16, 1933).↩