Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1936, The American Republics, Volume V

611.1431/153

The Minister in Guatemala (Hanna) to the Secretary of State

No. 866

Guatemala, January 15, 1936.
[Received January 20.]

Sir: With reference to my telegram No. 1, January 7, 12 Noon,² I have the honor to inform the Department of the receipt of a note dated January 14, 1936, from the Minister for Foreign Affairs with which he transmitted a copy of the revised Spanish text, together with Schedules I and II, of the proposed Trade Agreement. A single copy of the Note and enclosures³ in the original is transmitted herewith.

I have gone over the enclosure as carefully as time permitted and compared it with the tentative final draft in English transmitted to the Legation with the Department’s instruction No. 230 of October 23, 1935,⁴ and transmitted to the Minister for Foreign Affairs on October 28. I also endeavored to effect a comparison with the original tentative Spanish text of the Agreement forwarded to the Department with the Legation’s despatch No. 824 of November 16, 1935,⁵ but found it impossible since this latter had been more or less radically changed. As a result of the comparison with the Department’s English text a number of changes and in certain cases additions were noted, a summary of which I am attaching hereto.²

The Department will observe that certain of the changes, such as the omission of the opening note to Schedule I, presumably were the result of oversights due to carelessness or haste in preparation. From the hurried comparison which I have been able to make it would appear that perhaps some of the discrepancies between the English and Spanish texts may not be of vital importance. I believe, therefore, that it would be advisable and definitely more expeditious were the Department to modify the English text to conform so far as may be admissible to the present Spanish version. Should the Department, however, desire to make any changes in the Spanish text, I respectfully suggest that a list of such alterations or textual corrections be transmitted to me by airmail when I shall immediately take up the matter with the Foreign Office.

The Department will note that in Schedule I the Minister for Foreign Affairs has included 212–3–0–4 “corn starch” at $0.15 G. K. and 214–1–0–4 “Unspecified fruits, in syrup or in their own juice, cooked or uncooked” at $0.30 G. K. and tariff items 491–1–3–5 and succeeding numeral, trucks and auto busses of not more than and more than four tons respectively. It will be recalled that these items were omitted from the original Spanish text transmitted with the Legation’s despatch No. 824 previously referred to.

The Department will also observe that Notes 1, 2 and 3 have been added to Schedule II instead of to Schedule I and that a phrase reading as follows in translation: “But the provisions now in force on this subject shall continue to be in force” was added to notes 1 and 2. The Foreign Minister informed me that this phrase had been included in the two notes in question in order that there might be no doubt in the future and to have it quite clear that it was a procedure which could and should be followed.

I should add that the Minister also told me that Guatemala would be glad if the engrossment of the proposed treaty could be done in Washington. Presuming that this would be acceptable to the Department, I gave him an affirmative assurance.

Respectfully yours,

Matthew E. Hanna

2. Not printed.
3. Not printed. Schedule I consisted of concessions to be granted by Guatemala on imports from the United States. Schedule II consisted of concessions to be granted by the United States on imports from Guatemala.
4. Foreign Relations, 1935, vol. iv, p. 611.
5. Ibid, p. 612.
2. Not printed.