611.3131/208: Telegram
The Minister in Venezuela (Gonzalez) to the Secretary of State
[Received 9:20 p.m.]
55. From Daniels. Department’s telegram No. 36, June 22, 3 p.m. paragraph 7 and my reply June 24, 11 a.m. In a conversation this morning with the Minister of Foreign Affairs the latter gave me the impression that a possible postponement of the public announcement would not give the Venezuelan Government cause for concern. He also inclined toward the longer estimate of probable duration of negotiations. He referred to the study currently being given to the revision of the Venezuelan tariff with a view to making it a 2-column tariff (see my despatches No. 3 of May 7 [6]23 and No. 4 of May 12) and stated that with the unconditional most-favored-nation treatment established by the modus vivendi of May 12 the United States would benefit by the minimum rates. [Daniels]
[Formal notice of intention to negotiate a trade agreement with Venezuela was issued by the Department of State on July 12. A list of products under consideration for the granting of concessions accompanied the notice. See Department of State, Press Releases, July 16, 1938, pages 31 ff. Correspondence for the remainder of 1938 on negotiations carried on at Caracas regarding details of the agreement is not printed. The agreement was signed on November 6, 1939 (54 Stat. 2375).]
- Not printed.↩