800.6354/265

The Department of State to the British Embassy

Memorandum

Reference is made to the British Embassy’s memorandum of April 25, 1941 transmitting the information that the British Government has accepted the amendments to the draft United Kingdom-Bolivian Agreement on tin ore which was suggested at the meeting held by the Deputy Federal Loan Administrator and the Commercial Counselor of the British Embassy on April 10, and that instructions had been issued to the British Minister at La Paz to incorporate appropriate verbal changes in the agreement.

The Department of State is gratified that it has been possible to reach this full agreement between the British and the United States Governments.

It is noted that the only substantive change in the text of the agreement beyond the points referred to above is the insertion in Article 1 after the words “ensure that” of the words: “apart from such specified amounts as shall from time to time be agreed between the two contracting Governments”. The United States Government has no desire to comment upon this amendment other than to record its understanding that the release of the specified amounts would in no way affect the tonnage which Metals Reserve Company would be entitled to receive from Bolivia in the event of a reduction of permissible Bolivian exports to a level at which the pertinent provisions of Article 2 of the Metals Reserve Company contract of November 4, 1940 and Article 10 of the United Kingdom-Bolivian Agreement would become operative.