611.4731/96: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Consul General at Sydney (Caldwell)
Your June 5, 4 p.m., delayed in transit and received after Mr. Bruce16 had interviewed Department officials. His talk was along the same lines as your summary of the written proposal. Assistant Secretary Sayre told him that it was obviously economically unsound to attempt to balance trade between all individual countries, but that he did not despair of dealing later on with the products mentioned. It was also pointed out that the prudent course for domestic reasons was for us to begin our program of negotiations with countries whose products were not so directly competitive with those of the United States.
This is for your information only. Fuller comment and a reply to the proposal will be sent upon receipt of your despatch.
I concur in the last sentence of your telegram.
- Stanley Melbourne Bruce, Australian Minister without Portfolio.↩