611.41D6 Liquor/1

The Irish Minister (MacWhite) to the Acting Secretary of State

Sir: I have been given to understand that the United States Government are about to set up machinery to regulate the importation of liquor and wines, and that certain officials have already been designated to work out quotas for different countries.

I have the honour to request that you will be so good as to bring to the attention of the authorities concerned the annexed memorandum which shows the trade situation between the Irish Free State and the United States for the ten years from 1924 to 1933. It will be observed from this memorandum that in the period mentioned the United States purchased only an average of one dollar’s worth of Irish merchandise in return for every eight dollars of American merchandise purchased by the Irish Free State. During the nine months January to September of the current year this proportion has not varied to any extent.

I should like furthermore to point out that in the manufacture of Irish Porter, Stout, and Whiskey a considerable percentage of the barley, hops and wood employed has invariably been imported from the United States.

I trust these facts will be taken into due consideration by your Government in determining the regulations that may govern the importation of alcoholic beverages from the Irish Free State, and that a more equitable adjustment of our mutual trade relations will result therefrom.

I have [etc.]

M. MacWhite
[Page 108]
[Enclosure]

Memorandum by the Irish Minister (MacWhite)

Value of Trade Between the Irish Free State and the United States for the Years 1924 to 1932 in Pounds Sterling

Imported from the United States Exported to the United States
£ Sterling £ Sterling
1924 3,708,669 1924 241,191
1925 3,162,448 1925 297,919
1926 4,955,589 1926 306,395
1927 4,658,006 1927 456,855
1928 3,810,596 1928 326,540
1929 4,772,495 1929 993,320
1930 3,867,788 1930 1,176,221
1931 2,044,359 1931 393,437
1932 1,320,211 1932 103,282
1933 (9 months) 739,954 1933 (9 months) 111,265