561.35E1A/1174: Telegram
The Ambassador in the United Kingdom (Kennedy) to the Secretary of State
[Received November 22—1:59 p.m.]
2425. From the delegates to the International Sugar Council.
Your 1415, November 10. Documents relating to informal meeting of the International Sugar Council on November 11 were forwarded by pouch on the S. S. President Harding, November 15 (Embassy’s despatch 3849, November 142). The Department’s attention is particularly invited to enclosure 1 (S. C. 2009 [209]) and its annexes. This document is the Chairman’s note on wartime arrangements for administration of the International Sugar Agreement quoted in the Embassy’s 2297, November 7; annexed to the note are the Chairman’s revised budget figures together with an explanatory note thereon and a table showing the shares of the various countries in the revised budget. Inasmuch as these figures are less than those already authorized for the current year, the Chairman proposes to make expenditures and to request contributions from members of the Council on this basis. The next formal meeting of the Council will be asked to give its retroactive approval. The general opinion at the informal meeting on November 11 was that the Chairman was not under the necessity of [Page 951] requesting prior specific approval for expenditures in an amount less than had already been authorized. As will be seen from the draft minutes of the informal meeting (S. C. 214, enclosure 5 to despatch 3849), there was no attempt to take formal decisions and many of the delegates had no specific instructions. The general consensus of opinion expressed, however, was plainly in favor of continuance of the machinery of the Council and maintenance as far as practicable of the statistical services furnished through the bulletin.
The Department’s views as expressed in telegram 1415 of November 10 were set forth to the meeting by the American delegates. If the Governments who are members of the International Sugar Council decide to maintain the machinery set up by the Agreement in at least skeleton form and such services as may be practicable, including the publication of the bulletin, it is our opinion that the Chairman’s budget as set forth in detail in the documents above cited represents a responsible amount for any effective service.
- Not printed.↩