837.51/2810: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Cuba ( Briggs )
Washington
, August 29,
1941—6 p.m.
246. Your telegram 111 of August 25 and despatch 2540 of August 23.91 (The numbered points correspond to the numbers in your telegram.)
- 1.
- Obviously the Department would not wish to recommend any but a qualified expert; and in view of emergency demands for talent this may take some time.
- 2.
- You may inform García Montes that the Department and the Export-Import Bank will very carefully examine his ably prepared memorandum; but as Collado informed you on the telephone August 26,92 the solution García Montes suggests for the budgetary problem recurring this time every year is not apt to be well received by the Export-Import Bank. (For example, only a few months ago the Cuban Government turned down the offer of $4,000,000 to help the budget and furthermore sugar prospects for the coming year for Cuba are the best in 10 years or more.) See also letter of Under Secretary to Ambassador of July 21, 1941.93
- 3.
- The Department fully endorses your reply to García Montes in point 3 of your telegram, and you may so inform him and other appropriate officials. The Department could under no circumstances acquiesce in the clear violation of the Agreement involved by the proposal to increase by 20% the duties on “bound” customs items.
Hull