611.6531/286
Memorandum by the Secretary of State
[Washington,] August 20, 1935.
The Italian Ambassador called by invitation in order that I might propound to him two questions relative to the pending trade agreement conversations between the two Governments, namely:
- (1)
- That if I understood the position of the Italian Government, it was to the effect that Italy would undertake to purchase in value as much, or more, from the United States as in recent years. The Ambassador replied that Italy would have in view purchases in value as large or larger than those of 1934.
- (2)
- I then inquired as to the extent to which Italy would apply good treatment or favored-nation treatment to American exports, and whether the position of his Government was that it would apply such treatment to a substantial portion of such exports without any guarantees of fair treatment as to the remainder. The Ambassador read portions of a lengthy cable, which he said had just been received from is Government, on the entire subject of the trade agreement proposal. In this cable there was a sentence to the effect that the Italian Government could not undertake to agree to any specific formula on this subject for the reason that it had conflicting arrangements with other countries to a more or less extent. The Ambassador added, however, and sought to emphasize it, that the Italian Government would strive to render fair treatment to the fullest extent possible in the circumstances, and that he and his Government believed that if this trade agreement proposal should be carried forward its provisions could be carried out to the extent of complying in a satisfactory manner with our Government’s formula of fair treatment. He would not undertake to give figures or percentages in this respect.
I wondered if he were not expressing more a hope than what he considered a probability. I then requested him to speak with Dr. Grady on the same subject.
C[ordell] H[ull]