856D.6176/487a: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Minister in the Netherlands (Gordon)

17. It is understood that the International Rubber Regulation Committee has circulated to the signatory Governments a preliminary draft of proposed revision of the International Agreement. We understand it has been the Committee’s plan to have copies of this draft before all Governments by February 22, when the draft may become public, with the request that the Committee receive comments of these Governments upon the draft in advance of March 31, by which time the Committee must make its final recommendation to signatory Governments regarding extension of the Agreement beyond December 31, 1938.

You are authorized to inform the appropriate officials of the Netherland Government of the interest of this Government in the terms on which the Agreement may be renewed, and you may state, therefore, that this Government would be glad to be consulted informally regarding its opinion of the proposal, either in the present preliminary draft form or in the final form to be submitted by the Committee by March 31.

A similar instruction is being forwarded to the American Embassy at London.4

Hull
  1. Telegram No. 83, February 23, 8 p.m., to the Ambassador in the United Kingdom.