611.3931/60
The Minister in the Dominican Republic (Schoenfeld) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 10.]
Sir: Referring to my despatch No. 3588 of October 28, 1936, in further relation to representations made to the Dominican Govern-men under the Department’s instructions with a view to securing most-favored-nation treatment here for American products similar in character to those specified in the Franco-Dominican trade agreement recently concluded, I have the honor to inform the Department that in conversation this morning with the Minister for Foreign Affairs the Minister stated to me that the Government was giving this matter “its most careful and benevolent” consideration. The Minister did not indicate what the result of this consideration would be.
[Page 421]The Minister of Foreign Affairs, of whom I was taking leave before departing for the United States tomorrow in pursuance of leave granted me by the Department, again referred to the Dominican Government’s interest in obtaining a trade agreement with the United States and solicited my support of the idea upon my arrival in Washington.
Though the Minister also indicated that the “careful and benevolent” consideration which he said was being given the matter of most-favored-nation treatment for American goods was designed to enable the Dominican Government to answer our representations of October 10, and though it seems possible that a note expressing the intention of this Government to grant American goods unconditional most-favored-nation treatment in pursuance of the American-Dominican Modus Vivendi of 1924 may be addressed to this Legation subsequent to my forthcoming departure on leave, I now feel it is more probable that a favorable response to my note of October 10 will be deferred pending some indication by the Department of its readiness to enter upon negotiations for an American-Dominican trade agreement.
Respectfully yours,