856D.6176/493: Telegram

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

27. Your No. 30, March 23, 1 p.m. Within your discretion you are requested to present the following points with emphasis to the Foreign Office:

(1)
We should like to rely on the Netherlands Government to support actively the points which they have indicated as unobjectionable to them.
(2)
This Government is not convinced that adequate consideration has been forthcoming for the problem of stocks raised in our point 5 [Page 933] and it strongly urges careful study of specific means of meeting this problem. Furthermore, it strongly urges adoption of the specific provision regarding release of rubber to friendly governments in time of war or other emergency, set forth in the third paragraph of point 5.
(3)
The American manufacturers strongly oppose any restriction on new planting and this Government urges some liberalization of the recommendations of the committee in this regard.
(4)
It is appreciated that restriction upon the export of certain seeds and plants, in connection with control measures, has been a rather settled practice in the Netherlands East Indies. In the case of rubber it is particularly objectionable and it is desired that our protest should be pressed strongly both in The Hague and in London.

If you consider it wise you may seek an opportunity to discuss these points also with Professor van Gelderen7 or other experts.

Hull
  1. J. van Gelderen, chief Netherland delegate on the International Rubber Committee and rubber expert of the Netherland Ministry of the Colonies.