Office of the Historian

635.4131/81: Telegram

The Chargé in Great Britain (Atherton) to the Secretary of State

London, May 2, 1933—noon.
[Received May 2—8:35 a.m.]

93. Embassy’s 81, April 28 [18], 5 p.m.95 Anglo-Argentine trade agreement signed yesterday. Text will be forwarded immediately [Page 727] available96 but press correspondents understand this will not be until after Washington-Argentine discussions are completed. I am told details of agreement are substantially as follows: Government secures a loan of 10,000,000 pounds in London for the purpose of releasing British frozen credit deposits in the Argentine. Argentine duties on large number of items to be reduced with certain changes in the customs classifications designed to benefit British exports especially textiles, motor vehicles and agricultural machinery. British Government guarantees to the Argentine Government up to 15% of frozen beef quota. This 15% can be allocated only to state and municipally owned slaughterhouses. Argentine Government is at present availing itself of only 3½%.

This morning’s press announces that Government has invited Japanese Government to send a delegation to discuss British Empire trade with Japan. It is also reported that the agreements with Norway and Sweden will be signed within the next 10 days97 and preliminary arrangements for trade negotiations with Finland are under way.98

Atherton
  1. Not printed.↩
  2. The text was transmitted in despatch No. 853, May 5 (not printed); for text of agreement, see League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. cxliii, p. 67.↩
  3. For texts of the treaties, signed May 15, 1933, see League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. cxlv, p. 187, and vol. cxl, p. 317.↩
  4. For text of the treaty signed September 29, 1933, see ibid., vol. cxlix, p. 167.↩