611.3331/422: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Uruguay ( Dawson )
296. Your 454, October 28, 7 p.m. Consideration continues to be given to the possibility of sending someone to assist you in bringing the trade-agreement negotiations to a conclusion. You will appreciate that, apart from other considerations, the Department would hesitate to send an officer from Washington unless assured that the Uruguayans are disposed to cooperate wholeheartedly in bringing the negotiations to a successful conclusion as rapidly as possible.
Much of the delay seems to have resulted from failure on the part of the Uruguayans to give prompt consideration to our proposals and submit specific counterproposals.
It is believed that there should be no great difficulty in regard to the general provisions or Schedule II. We have made our offers in Schedule II as liberal as we can make them, and the general provisions as proposed and as they appear with related notes in the agreement with Argentina represent not only what we would agree to if necessary in the case of Uruguay but also, in so far as exceptions are concerned, the ultimate to which we could go. If somewhat better general provisions in regard to such matters as exchange and quotas could be obtained without difficulty or undue delay, that would be desirable. However, in order to avoid any unnecessary delay it is suggested that you base future discussions on the Argentine text and pertinent related notes in so far as the latter apply to Uruguay’s situations; also that you make discreet use of the final [Page 575] minutes worked out in connection with the Argentine agreement to cover similarly such points therein dealt with as the Uruguayans may be unwilling to incorporate in the general provisions or notes to be published.
Copies of the text of the Argentine agreement including related notes, together with an analysis thereof, and the unpublished final minutes are on the way to you by air mail. These texts are substantially the same as those enclosed with the Department’s instruction no. 295 of May 28, 1941.
The main problem appears to be the working out of a satisfactory Schedule I, and it is difficult to estimate how much of a task this may be in the absence of specific Uruguayan counterproposals. Such counterproposals would facilitate a decision in regard to the question of sending someone to assist the Embassy in the final stages of negotiations.