623.4131/33
The Department of State to the Permian Embassy
Memorandum
The American Embassy in Lima has reported an interview between the American Chargé d’Affaires ad interim and Señor Bellido, Chief of the Diplomatic Section and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in which the latter indicated that the trade agreement under negotiation between Peru and Great Britain might not be favorable to American commercial interests.
Leaving aside at this time the question of possible detriment to the trade of the United States with Peru, this Government desires to express the earnest hope that Peru will take no action nor make any commitments at this time which would be counter to the policy of equality of treatment unanimously subscribed to by the American Republics in the Economic Resolution adopted at the Seventh International Conference of American States at Montevideo. The support which Peru has given in general to a liberal commercial policy based upon equality of trade opportunity and her success in recovering from the world depression while following such a policy has given much encouragement to other governments working for the restoration of international trade and the adoption of liberal policy in international economic relations. If, however, the Government of Peru actually is giving consideration to departing from the principle of equal treatment of trade it is hoped that action will be withheld until after the forthcoming Inter-American Conference for the Maintenance of Peace, when all the nations of this hemisphere will have had the opportunity of consulting jointly for the purpose of promoting their mutual interests.