811.24 Raw Materials/218

The Netherlands Minister for Foreign Affairs (Patijn) to the American Minister in the Netherlands (Gordon)45

[Translation]
No. 19849

Mr. Minister: Referring to the Aide Mémoire, dated May 17 last,46 which Your Excellency handed me concerning the proposed exchange of raw materials between the Government of the United States and the Government of Great Britain, I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that the Netherlands Government is disposed in principle to exercise its influence in the International Rubber and Tin Committees, with a view to effecting a reduction of the restriction percentages to the extent deemed necessary to enable the Government of the United State to obtain the desired stocks of the abovementioned products.

In making this declaration the Netherlands Government assumes that the basis on which the restriction agreements are established will be duly taken into account.

The Netherlands Government equally assumes that the Government of the United States will come to a direct understanding with the two interested Committees regarding the price at which the stocks shall be acquired and the commercial methods by which they will be formed, as well as the manner in which they will continually be kept off the market.

[Page 258]

Finally, the Netherlands Government desires to observe that its collaboration in this matter remains subject to the condition that the International Rubber and Tin Committees agree that the acceptance of the American proposal will oblige them to consider with the same benevolence requests of a similar nature which may be addressed to them by any other Government.

I avail myself [etc.]

J. Patijn
  1. Transmitted to the Department by the Minister in the Netherlands as an enclosure to his despatch No. 806, June 26; received July 8.
  2. Not found in Department files, but see telegram No. 43, May 16, 6 p.m., to the Minister in the Netherlands, p. 247.