611.3531/871a: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Argentina ( Armour )
106. In pursuance of the trade-agreement discussions in Buenos Aires and in accordance with the procedure generally followed in trade-agreement conversation?, this Government now desires to ascertain what concessions the Argentine Government would expect in return for negotiating a trade agreement on our basis. As a result of exhaustive study of all products of which Argentina is the chief or an important supplier to the United States, this Government is fully prepared to give consideration to any request, within the authority of the Trade Agreements Act, which the Argentine Government may wish to make in regard to the tariff treatment of such products. A memorandum in this sense, which embodies this Government’s proposed basis for a trade agreement (which is in line with the Fowler-Sapping-ton suggestions), is being sent you by air mail for transmission to the Argentine Government.9 A copy of the memorandum is also being handed to the Argentine Ambassador here.
You should, unless you perceive objection, immediately inform the appropriate Argentine officials of the foregoing. You should strongly impress upon those officials the necessity of avoiding any publicity regarding both the nature of any trade-agreement discussions and the fact that such discussions are in progress.