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The Venezuelan Chargé (Lares) to the Secretary of State
The Chargé d’Affaires of Venezuela presents his compliments to His Excellency the Secretary of State and has the honor to advise him of the following:
By note No. 3009 of the ninth instant,62 the Embassy referred to the difficult situation with which the coffee operations of Venezuela are confronted in view of the fact that the greater part of the steamers sailing from Venezuela, with coffee shipments, arrive at New Orleans or Mobile and not at New York, which is the principal and traditional market for the sale of our coffee. On the other hand, the vessels which come from Brazil and Colombia arrive directly at New York.
The payment of the railway freight for the transportation of Venezuelan coffee from New Orleans or Mobile to New York was absorbed to the extent of 75%, under certain conditions, by the Commodity Credit Corporation, thereby providing relief as regards expenditures.
The situation has now become much more difficult due to the fact that, as of August 25 last, the Commodity Credit Corporation eliminated the subsidy which it had been paying to the coffee trade. Consequently, the payment of 75% of the freight over the land route New Orleans or Mobile—New York is completely eliminated for the future.
In view of the fact that the situation with respect to the sale of our coffee is now becoming increasingly difficult and is causing, as a result, harm to Venezuelan economy, the Chargé d’Affaires of Venezuela will be very grateful to His Excellency the Secretary of State for the cooperation which he may be able to give with a view to arranging for the transportation of our coffee intended for the United States directly from Venezuelan ports to New York, thus placing us on an equal footing with Colombia and Brazil, whose coffees arrive directly at that port.
- Note of August 9, not printed.↩