611.5431/220: Telegram
The Chargé in Switzerland (Hawks) to the Secretary of State
[Received August 20—8:25 a.m.]
34. Legation’s 33, August 15, 5 p.m.21 I saw Stucki last evening and outlined to him the contents of the Department’s telegram 52, August 14, 4 p.m. He stated that he regretted that information should have become public concerning certain of our proposed reductions and said that he had given most positive instructions to the Swiss Legation in Washington and to the Consulate General in New York as well as to the industrialists here that this information must be kept confidential.
I stressed the fact that the Department felt that it was most urgent that the negotiations be carried out as soon as possible. Stucki agreed with this and said that he had just returned from leave, that an Italian delegation is due to arrive in Bern the day after tomorrow to negotiate a commercial agreement; that while he would do his utmost it would be a physical impossibility to get everything prepared to reopen negotiations before another 15 days.
Stucki said that he had received “word that the McCormack Bill regarding the smuggling of watches has passed the House; that he [Page 763] still could not understand this action of the United States Government and that it did not tend to instill into the negotiations the proper atmosphere of confidence and fair play.
- Not printed.↩