611.1431/147: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Guatemala (Hanna)
36. Your telegrams Nos. 6523 and 66. The Treasury Department does not know how this Government could legally take steps to aid Guatemala in curbing illicit exportation of chicle without the passage of enabling legislation.
Under the circumstances the Department does not see how this Government could enter into a very precise commitment with Guatemala on the subject. It would be preferable if Guatemala could outline exactly what it would expect this Government to do, just as we did when we sought Guatemala’s assistance in eliminating contraband alcohol shipments from Barrios.24 Since this would probably involve delay and might result in the presentation of conditions which we could not meet, the Department believes that the best course of action might be to sign a note worded as follows:
“The Government of the United States is aware of the difficulties which the Government of Guatemala is experiencing in controlling the export of crude chicle and is desirous of cooperating within the limits of its authority, with the Government of Guatemala, in preventing chicle illegally exported from Guatemala from entering the United States as chicle originating in third countries. The Government of the United States accordingly assures the Government of Guatemala that it will give most careful and sympathetic study to any proposal designed to assist in accomplishing the foregoing purpose.”
We believe it would be best to suppress mention in such a note of Guatemalan aid in connection with alcohol smuggling.
Please telegraph your reaction to this and also indicate when the revised translation of the trade agreement will be forwarded to the Department.
- Not printed.↩
- See instruction No. 176, April 5, 1935, to the Minister in Guatemala, Vol. i, p. 413.↩