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  4. Document 283

394.31/9–2650

Memorandum of Conversation, by Mr. Lucius D. Battle of the Executive Secretariat of the Department of State

confidential
[Washington,] September 26, 1950.
Participants: Mr. Acheson
Mr. Bevin1
Mr. Barclay2
Mr. Battle

In a conversation on other matters, Mr. Bevin mentioned the Torquay tariff negotiations. He said that he hoped that the negotiations [Page 803] this time would not get in a wrangle on the question of imperial preferences. He said that the issue would not arise. He said the British would do all possible to meet us on other matters but hoped that the question of imperial preferences could be avoided.

Mr. Acheson said that he would take the matter up with Willard Thorp.3

  1. Ernest Bevin, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.↩
  2. R. E. Barclay, Private Secretary to Mr. Bevin.↩
  3. Willard L. Thorp, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, had been designated Chairman of the United States Delegation to the Third Bound of Tariff Negotiations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. For a list of persons named to the United States Delegation, see Department of State Bulletin, October 2, 1950, pp. 553 ff. The Third Round opened at Torquay, England, on September 28.↩