821.61333/281
Memorandum of Conversation, by the Director of the Office of American Republic Affairs (Duggan)
The Ambassador12 stated that there were two aspects of the coffee situation about which he would like to speak to me.
The first had to do with the increase in the quotas for the current coffee year. He urged that action be taken at once in this regard. I told the Ambassador that it was my understanding that the Coffee Board would meet on Thursday, April 20, to resolve this question.13
The Ambassador then passed to the second aspect which he said was much more important. At very great length he went over with [Page 142] me considerations having to do with the justice of the basic quotas. He left with me the attached memorandum,14 which sets forth these considerations.
The Ambassador said that his Government fully recognized the need for proceeding with very great caution and care in this matter. His Government was not throwing the question before the Coffee Board at this time. It preferred to explore the matter most discreetly outside the Board at this stage. His Government would appreciate the Department’s considering the considerations set forth in the memorandum he had left with me, and subsequently his Government hoped that there could be an exchange of views between the two Governments on the matter.
I told the Ambassador that we would be very glad to give our most careful attention to the memorandum he had left with me and that we would get in touch with him when we have carefully gone over it.