841.4061 Motion Pictures/143: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Kennedy) to the Secretary of State
[Received June 2—5 p.m.]
477. The Department’s No. 190, May 3, 5 p.m. Conversations with the Board of Trade convince me that the British Government, because of the Films Act, cannot give us assurances which would be of any value to the motion picture industry. I recommend therefore that conversations on this topic be dropped.
The question of import duties on motion picture films remains to be considered. I wish to point out that a duty concession on films would be of small practical benefit to the motion picture industry although it might benefit suppliers of celluloid and photographic apparatus. I do not feel that a reduction in the duty of “blank film, exposed positives, exposed negatives, and other photographic and [Page 34] cinematographic appliances” would balance the concession denied us on renters’ quota, and in my opinion the British should compensate us by giving us substantial concessions in other commodities. I therefore suggest that in the trade agreement negotiations the Department should handle this duty question in Washington as any other commodity.