Office of the Historian
  1. Home
  2. Historical Documents
  3. Foreign Relations of the United States Diplomatic Papers, 1939, The American Republics, Volume V
  4. Document 276

611.3531/898a: Telegram

The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Argentina ( Armour )

Washington , August 22, 1939—5 p.m.

132. Department’s telegram no. 131, August 19, 10 p.m. With reference to paragraph numbered 3, you should immediately inform the Argentine officials that public notice of intention to negotiate will be released here, if agreeable to the Argentine Government, for publication in the morning newspapers of August 23. At the same time, you should inform the Argentine officials that, on further consideration, it is planned to allow 6 weeks, or until October 4, for written briefs. The hearings will begin on October 16. Consequently, it would be desirable for the Argentine trade delegation not to arrive before the end of September. These changes in dates should not involve any delay in concluding the agreement, since, meanwhile, negotiations in regard to the general provisions and discussion of other matters can proceed.

With the substitution of Argentina for Canada and of the foregoing dates, the texts of the public notices will be the same as those issued in the case of Canada and contained in the Press Releases of January 29, 1938. The public notice of intention to negotiate will be accompanied by the list of products agreed to by the two Governments and a statement, along the general lines of that issued in connection with Canadian notice, which will include the following:

“Imports into Argentina from certain countries, with which Argentina normally has an export balance of trade, have in recent years received more favorable exchange treatment than have imports from the United States. The Government of Argentina has agreed that the proposed trade agreement will be based upon the principles of multilateral trade which underlie the trade-agreements program of the United States. The proposed trade agreement will assure that imports into Argentina from the United States will be accorded any advantage given competing imports from any other source and that any governmental regulation of imports into Argentina will be applied in a nondiscriminatory manner.”

Pertinent trade figures also will be given to the press.

The above-quoted part of the statement has been shown to Ambassador Espil.

Welles