611.9417/64a
The Secretary of State to the Secretary of Commerce (Roper)
My Dear Mr. Secretary: In my letter to you of October 23, 1935, regarding discussions with the Japanese looking toward limitation of importations into the United States of textile products, I indicated that the Executive Committee on Commercial Policy was having made a study of the list of items which might be covered in such discussions. At its meeting on October 25 the report of the Sub-committee on Cotton Textiles was considered and approved. The report recommended inclusion of cotton cloth, cotton rugs, wool-knit gloves, and cotton velveteens in the contemplated negotiations; however, in view of preliminary information received from experts of the Tariff Commission who are now in the field looking into the competitive facts of cotton [Page 1018] velveteens, it was deemed advisable for the present to omit this product from any deliberations with the Japanese and to await the receipt of a full report from the field study before making a conclusive recommendation with respect to cotton velveteens.
With respect to cotton rugs, the situation vis-à-vis Japan has changed somewhat since the report of the Sub-committee was drafted. On October 25 the Japanese Embassy inquired whether this Government would be agreeable to certain changes in the existing arrangement in regard to cotton rugs. In view of the fact that the changes proposed had been under consideration for several months, it seems advisable to proceed at once to discuss the matter of cotton rugs with the Japanese.
The Committee on Commercial Policy thought it advisable for me to send to you a copy of the report of its Sub-committee91 and to call attention to the exception noted above with respect to cotton velveteens. It was thought that the Sub-committee’s report might be helpful to you but, in view of the extremely confidential nature of the suggestions contained in this report, it is hoped that you may confine it strictly to your personal use. Copies of this report, which had been furnished only to members of the Commercial Policy Committee, have been recalled because of its extremely confidential nature.
Sincerely yours,
- Not found in Department files.↩