611.1231/319

Memorandum of Telephone Conversation, by Mr. H. Gerald Smith of the Division of Commercial Policy and Agreements

I telephoned Señor Sierra to inform him that we hoped to be able to place in his hands by March 31 or April 1, the list of the items which we were prepared to publish with our public announcement of intention to negotiate with Mexico. If no further problems arose regarding the items comprising the list, we believed it would be possible to issue the public announcement on April 3, or at least prior to the departure from Washington of Foreign Minister Padilla. I also told Señor Sierra that we now had ready for him a tentative list of the Schedule I items11 on which this Government proposed to request concessions of Mexico, and indicated that this list was, of course, subject to later modification in the light of information received from interested persons in this country.

I inquired of Señor Sierra whether his Government intended to publish a list of possible Schedule I items in the same way that Schedule II items were published in this country. He said that he was not sure, but as he would be telephoning Mexico City in the next [Page 491] few minutes, he would make it a point to inquire. Señor Sierra inquired whether this Government would have any objection to the publication by the Mexican Government of a list in Mexico. I told him that this was a matter for the Mexican Government to decide, that we would neither express any objection if the Mexican Government desired to publish such a list nor would we request or encourage the Mexican Government to do so.

Señor Sierra promised to call later in the day to receive the tentative Schedule I list and said that he would transmit this to his Government tonight.

In accordance with the above, Señor Sierra called and was given the Schedule I tentative list. He said that as a result of his telephone call to Mexico City he was of the opinion that his Government would not publish a Schedule I list.

  1. Not printed.