837.61351/2654c: Telegram
The Secretary of State to
the Ambassador in Cuba (Messersmith)
Washington, December
1, 1941—3 p.m.
374. Reference Walmsley’s telephone call this morning to the Ambassador.
The Defense Supplies Corporation and the Office of Price Administration
request that the proposal made by Mr. Pierson be restated in the
following language and thus replace points 1 to 5 in the Department’s
telegram no. 373 of November 30, 4 p.m.68 In delivering the following proposal to Dr.
López Castro69 it should be made clear it is not an offer but
that if the proposal is acceptable to Cuba Mr. Pierson as Chairman of
the United States Commission will recommend it to the interested
agencies of the United States as a satisfactory basis for a purchase
agreement:
- “1. The entire 1942 Cuban crop will be purchased at a
minimum basic price of 2.50 f. o. b. Cuba for sugar, invert
and blackstrap. [Page 243]
This basic minimum price applies with the freight rate for
sugar fixed at 34 cents and will not be disturbed by any
increase in freight without a corresponding rise in the
price of sugar.
- 2. By condition of the Cuban Commission any reduction in
the present tariff (15 points) will be for Cuba’s benefit.
Since Cuba insists that any agreement be predicated on a 15
point reduction in the present tariff, the basic minimum
price as stated in Article 1 above will be
- 2.65 for raw sugar (freight constant at 34 cents
for this minimum)
- 2.50 for invert and blackstrap (neither of which
is affected by the tariff).
- 3. Purchase of the entire crop to be less
- (a)
- 200,000 long tons for local consumption, and less
the blackstrap therefrom;
- (b)
- 65,000 long tons for the world market; and
- (c)
- molasses requirements of Cuban distillers for
about 65,000,000 gallons of alcohol.
- 4. The basic minimum price of 2.50, f. o. b. Cuba, will
hold for invert without deduction of the usual production
cost differential estimated at 20 to 30 points, but this
price as applied to blackstrap will be subject to deduction
of approximately two cents per gallon representing the
freight differential between blackstrap and invert.
- 5. OPA to lift the domestic price ceiling to 3.74
contemporaneously with the conclusion of the purchase
agreement.
- 6. The basic minimum price for sugar, invert and
blackstrap will vary upward upon any rise of market price
following any rise in ceiling price, the price to be paid to
be determined by the average market price during the 15 day
period prior to the arrival of each shipment United States
port, except as modified by Article 7 below.
- 7. Any rise in the domestic price ceiling due to or in
anticipation of a freight rise will not affect the f. o. b.
price Cuba, all such freight rises to be for Cuba’s account
so long as they do not affect the basic minimum price. The
pertinent agencies of the United States Government will
undertake to exert their best efforts to prevent freight
rises.
- 8. Cuba agrees to produce a maximum crop and will deliver
as per buyers’ indications, whether sugar or invert, it
being understood that the immediate need is for invert but
that United States requirements will not exceed
approximately 1,000,000 long tons sugar equivalent.”
Mr. Leon Henderson, the Price Administrator, has stated that he cannot
approve the proposal on behalf of the OPA before he discusses it with
the President within the next day or so.
