611.653/81
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Italy (Phillips)
Sir: Reference is made to the Embassy’s telegram No. 116 of May 23, 1938, 4 p.m., and to subsequent correspondence, regarding the concern of the Italian authorities in general with past delays attendant upon the appraisal of certain named Italian exports and, in particular, with the delays which are at present being experienced in connection with exports of cotton and woolen goods from Italy. This matter was referred to the Secretary of the Treasury who caused a thorough study to be made of the situation.
There are enclosed two copies of a letter, dated July 21, 1938, from the Acting Secretary of the Treasury,20 in which the results of the Treasury’s investigations are set forth. It will be noted especially that the Treasury states that the suspensions in appraisements in question were occasioned by the mandatory requirements of our Customs laws or by specific requests for such suspensions either by domestic importers or by Italian representatives in this country; that except when the question of fraud is raised (this question is not believed to be included in the complaint of the Italian Government), the suspension of appraisements in and of itself in no way interferes with or retards the delivery of merchandise to importers; and that there has been no discrimination against Italian products.
With the exception of the reference to the confidential report of the Consul General in Florence in the first paragraph and in the last sentence of the final paragraph, you are authorized to use the information contained in the letter from the Acting Secretary of the Treasury as you may see fit in your conversations with the Italian authorities in regard to this matter.
Very truly yours,
- Not printed.↩