611.5231/1048
The Ambassador in Spain (Bowers) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 21.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Department’s cable No. 65 of October 1, 6 p.m.,31 in which it was stated that the proposals made by the Spanish negotiators as a basis of an agreement for a commercial treaty would be shortly referred to the President for final decision. [Page 734] I should also like to refer to the Department’s instruction No. 288 of October 22nd,32 the enclosure to which states that “it is intended to shape up the whole agreement as tentatively agreed to in our negotiations and present it to the Trade Agreements Committee for more or less final consideration”.
I am enclosing the translation of the United Press despatch from Washington which appeared in El Sol of November 333 and which states that a draft of the treaty is about to be submitted to the Secretary of State and to the Spanish Government.
I have been informed at the Foreign Office that Ambassador Calderón will shortly arrive in Madrid and that he will discuss the proposed treaty with the Inter-ministerial Committee on Commerce and Trade. My informant added that while tentative agreement had been come to with regard to the main provisions of the treaty, there were two or three questions which were still open.
As the two statements contained in the first paragraph of this despatch seem somewhat at variance, I should be glad to be informed by cable as to the exact present status of the negotiations. I should also like to know what the points are that have not yet been agreed upon in order that I may be of greater assistance in promoting the negotiations at this end.
Respectfully yours,