611.3731/2132

The Cuban Secretary of State (Angel Campa) to the American Ambassador in Cuba (Wright)43

[Translation]
No. 1417

Mr. Ambassador: I beg to refer to Your Excellency’s note of August 15, related to the Embassy’s note No. 215. [213] of July 2044 of this year, and to the reply to the latter which I had the honor to hand to Your Excellency on the 23d of the same month;45 to the subsequent conversations which took place in Washington between the Ambassador of Cuba and the Under Secretary of State of the United States, as well as to the possible suspension of the negotiations which are being carried on between both Governments with a view to agreeing to a supplementary treaty to adjust the commercial relations between Cuba and the United States.

Your Excellency states that following careful consideration of all the circumstances affecting this situation you have received instructions to inform me that the Government of the United States fixes the 31st of August of 1939 as the date on which, in case the developments indicated in your note of July 20 referred to above have not taken place, a public announcement will be made that the negotiations for a supplementary trade agreement between your Government and mine are indefinitely suspended.

In reply to said note of August 15 I hasten to inform Your Excellency that, although my Government still hopes that the conversations which have been carried on between the Ambassador of Cuba in Washington and the Under Secretary of State of the United States have cleared the way to a satisfactory solution of all the problems cordially examined by both Governments, as likely to improve the friendly relations between them and to redound to our mutual interest, in the face of the situation created by this new note of August 15 it (the Cuban Government) can only, although to its regret, limit itself to maintaining and reiterating the intent of its note of July 23d last in explanation of a just, serene and unavoidable position.

Moreover, the delay in these negotiations, the justified hope for their success and a legitimate anxiety on the part of Cuban and American public opinion, which must be taken very much into account in countries of democratic institutions such as those which fortunately govern the constitutional life of our peoples, lead me to suggest to [Page 544] your Government, in fulfillment of instructions from the President of the Republic, the advisability of proceeding immediately to make “simultaneous declarations on the part of both Governments in which they would announce at once their cordial intentions contained in the plan of economic cooperation already agreed upon, which the Government of Cuba is prepared, so far as concerns that part which devolves upon it, to carry out immediately and in a formal manner.”

My Government does not conceal its serious fear that if, unfortunately, the difficult situation in which these negotiations now appear to be, does not permit the Government of the United States to postpone the publication of its Note, there would be created—because of its obligation to justify its position before public opinion—a delicate situation for the Government of Cuba, which has demonstrated by acts, its intention of fulfilling all the obligations which rest upon it under the plan, in the confidence that the Government of the United States, on its part, would not delay complying with the obligations which it has assumed in the course of these negotiations conducted within the noble tradition of close friendship always existing between the peoples of Cuba and of the United States.

I take [etc.]

Miguel Angel Campa
  1. Transmitted to the Department by the Ambassador in his despatch No. 2314, August 17, 1939; received August 19.
  2. See footnote 24, p. 531.
  3. Ante, p. 534.