394.31/9–1751: Telegram

The United States ( GATT) Delegation to the Secretary of State 1

confidential

Tagg 7. At plenary GATT session today2 Czech delegate reserved right place two additional items on agenda if diplomatic representations in Wash do not bring satisfactory replies. First complaint related to general US action in refusing all export licenses for export to Czech. Second item refers to refusal of specific export licenses for Czech goods sent to US and rejected by US customers. Czech seek to have these goods returned to Czech. Claim some of these latter goods not permitted be re-exported.

Pls send soonest available background and what steps will be taken.

Sent Dept Tagg 7, rptd info Praha 1.

  1. For the composition of the U.S. Delegation to the Sixth Session of the Contracting Parties of the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade which convened at Geneva on September 17, 1951, see Department of State Bulletin, October 1, 1951, p. 553. The Delegation Chairman was Willard L. Thorp, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, and the Vice Chairman was John M. Leddy, Acting Director, Office of Economic Defense and Trade Policy. Files of the U.S. Delegation are in the GATT Files, Lot 63 D 134, Box 268 (FRC Accession 65A987) and Lot 66 D 209, Box 454 (FRC Accession 71A6682).
  2. The Summary Records of the Sixth Session are in GATT Files, Lot 63 D 134, Box 268. There were 27 plenary meetings, September 17–October 27, 1951.