611.60F31/67
Memorandum by the Chief of the Trade Agreements Section (Grady)
| Conversation: | Dr. Ferdinand Veverka, Minister of Czechoslovakia |
| Mr. Otakar Kabeláč, First Secretary of Legation | |
| Mr. Henry F. Grady | |
| Mr. Harry C. Hawkins10 |
The Minister called at my request as I wished to inform him of the general contents of our cablegram of March 13, 1935 to the American Minister at Prague. I handed him the attached memorandum11 for his information. I reaffirmed the statement made to our Minister at Prague that our policy in regard to generalization has not been finally adopted but indicated that we had in mind suggesting to his Government and to the Governments of other countries against whom we have had complaints of discrimination that we would like to have considered a Modus Vivendi under which there would be an agreement to eliminate discrimination pending the working out of a trade agreement.
He inquired as to when we might be in a position to discuss a trade agreement and I advised him that it is our hope to complete several agreements before announcing intention to negotiate with additional countries, but that I hoped that we might discuss with him in the not-too-distant future the matter of announcing a trade agreement with his country. He seemed to feel that his Government would be very glad to enter into a Modus Vivendi with us and thus secure the generalization of concessions from the completed trade agreements and those which will be consummated before one can be consummated with Czechoslovakia, and said that he would get in touch with the Department as soon as he had some word from his Government.