611.5431/236b: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Switzerland (Wilson)
63. Department’s 52, August 14, 4 p.m. I would like to have you take up personally with Stucki the question of the situation which has arisen here due to the fact that through the action of the Swiss Government the American watch and clock interests have learned of our duty concession offers. We have impressed upon the Legation here the extreme seriousness of this matter, but each day the pressure on us gets greater and greater, with the result that we are going to have the greatest difficulty in maintaining our original offers in respect of watches. It is of course my hope that it will not be necessary to cut down our offers but it is impossible to determine what action circumstances may require us to take. The whole agreement has been seriously jeopardized because of this leak of the watch offers. Time is of the essence if we are to conclude a satisfactory agreement. On Friday last the Swiss negotiators here brought in a long list of requests for additional concessions. On the other hand we have not added to our list. I think you might suggest to Stucki that he consider the advisability of dropping a good many if not all of these requests because it will require some time to study them. I think both sides must get down to final discussions at the earliest possible moment. Micheli has been informed of the substance of this telegram.