611.2331/172: Telegram
The Acting Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Peru (Norweb)
43. Your despatches 33 and 39, April 18 and 23.12 As the Peruvian Government is aware, this Government has been desirous in recent years of concluding a trade agreement with Peru. A thorough study has been made by this Government of the possible bases of an agreement and these bases have already been explored on a number of [Page 1143] occasions, both in Washington and in Lima, with the Peruvian authorities. Unfortunately, at the time when this Government was in a relatively favorable position to proceed, the Peruvian Government was apparently reluctant to do so.
The situation today presents difficulties to the early conclusion of a trade agreement by this Government. Although there might be a certain amount of preliminary ground work that could now be covered with Beltrán, it would seem desirable to point out to him and to the Foreign Office that from our point of view the prospects for a trade agreement, particularly one involving sugar and cotton, are not: encouraging at this time. If because of other duties entrusted to Mr. Beltrán the Government decides to send him to this country, it would seem desirable that publicity regarding the trade agreement phase of his mission be avoided.
- Neither printed. The Ambassador reported that the Peruvian Government was sending Señor Pedro Beltrán on a special mission to the United States primarily in connection with a trade agreement (011.2331/171, 172).↩