30. Memorandum From the Director of the Office of British Commonwealth and Northern European Affairs (Raynor) to the Assistant Secretary of State for European Affairs (Merchant)1
SUBJECT
- Escape Clause Action on Bicycles
The following information is based on a check made with the White House by E yesterday:
The White House has now received, through the Budget Bureau, the comments of the five principal interested agencies on the recommendations of the Tariff Commission. State recommended that the Commission’s recommendations be turned down. FOA has taken the same line as State. Defense and Treasury have recommended deferring action until there have been further developments on the grounds that the time has been too short to enable a judgment on injury to be made satisfactorily. Commerce has agreed with the Tariff Commission that there is injury and has recommended acceptance of the Commission’s recommendations except that Commerce would recommend an increase of 100% (instead of 200%) on lightweight bicycles.
According to E, the White House has not gone into the reports from the agencies. They have expressed the hope to a member of Dr. Hauge’s staff that the matter would be considered as soon as possible.
Neither Mr. Corse, Chief of TAD, nor Mr. Weiss, who talked with Dr. Hauge’s office, is accessible this morning, so the above information has been obtained at second hand. Tom Beale will be in touch with one or both of them this afternoon to find out whether there is anything that can usefully be done to expedite White House consideration of the problem.
- Source: Department of State, Central Files, 411.006/4–2055. Secret. Drafted by Wilson T.M. Beale, Officer in Charge of U.K. and Ireland Affairs.↩