411.9631/12–854
No. 380
Memorandum of Conversation, by the
Officer in Charge of Philippine Affairs (Bell)
Subject:
- Philippine Trade Agreement.
Participants:
- Walter S. Robertson, Assistant Secretary, FE
- General Carlos P. Romulo
- James D. Bell, PSA
General Romulo, at his request, called on Mr. Robertson this morning to convey a message from President Magsaysay concerning culmination of the Trade Agreement negotiations. General Romulo stated that he had been instructed by President Magsaysay to request that the United States agree to a revision of the Trade Agreement which would permit the Trade Agreement Delegation to announce substantial benefits for the Philippines.
Mr. Robertson stated that this matter had been recently discussed in the Department and that we would make the greatest possible concessions to the Philippines consistent with the necessity for obtaining Congressional approval. Mr. Robertson pointed out that an agreement which proved to be unacceptable to the Congress would be most unfortunate. He reiterated that we would agree to help the Philippines to the greatest extent possible with respect to changes in the Trade Agreement and pointed out that General Romulo was probably better qualified than most Americans to understand the problems involved.
General Romulo said that he appreciated Mr. Robertson’s position and that he would convey Mr. Robertson’s views to President Magsaysay by telephone tonight. He also said that he would explain our position to members of the Philippine Delegation.
General Romulo raised the question of President Magsaysay’s visit to the United States and stated that he had hoped there would be some time lag between Magsaysay’s visit and visits of other distinguished foreigners. Mr. Robertson explained the numerous difficulties in view of the large numbers of distinguished foreigners who visit the United States and stated that we wanted to be sure that any visit by Magsaysay was very well planned so that he would receive all the appropriate courtesies and honors. He said that he felt anything less would be worse than no visit at all. General Romulo was in agreement. He also stated that he felt Magsaysay [Page 646] should visit the United States while the Congress was in session.1
On the following day, Robertson met with Senator Laurel to discuss the Trade Agreement and Philippine claims. On the first topic, no new ground was covered; on the second, Cuthell’s memorandum of conversation on the meeting reads:
“On the claims question, Mr. Robertson said that we were actively investigating the 1934 devaluation claim, and would continue to discuss it with the Treasury. It was noted that favorable action would, of course, require a Congressional appropriation. A long and inconclusive discussion of the war damage claim followed, which was terminated by Senator Laurel’s suggestion that this claim and those relating to the Army be reviewed subsequently by representatives of the Department and the Philippine Embassy in Washington. The Senator stated that his primary interest was in seeing that his Government had an opportunity to present all the evidence in its possession on each of these claims and that it have an opportunity of discussing it with this Government. Mr. Robertson agreed that discussions should proceed as the Senator desired and as anticipated by his letter to the Senator of November 12, 1954” (441.9631/12–954)
On Dec. 15, Laurel and Langley issued a joint statement outlining the salient features of the Agreement, popularly known as the Laurel-Langley Agreement, which they had signed on that date; for text, see Department of State Bulletin, Dec. 27, 1954, p. 981.
Following approval in 1955 by the Philippine Congress, President Eisenhower submitted the Agreement to the U.S. Congress, which, on Aug. 1, 1955, enacted the Philippine Trade Agreement Revision Act of 1955, authorizing the President to enter into an executive agreement with the President of the Philippines to revise the Agreement of 1946 in accordance with the Agreement signed on Dec. 15, 1954, as corrected. (69 Stat. 413)
The new Agreement was signed in Washington on Sept. 6, 1955 by Romulo and Langley and entered into force on Jan. 1, 1956. The text is printed in TIAS No. 3348; 6 UST (pt. 3) 2981.
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