Office of the Historian

660c.116/53: Telegram

The Minister in Poland (Stetson) to the Secretary of State

[Paraphrase]
Warsaw, November 24, 1927—10 a.m.
[Received 6:45 p.m.]

82. Department’s telegrams No. 51, November 9, 1 p.m., and No. 56, November 21, 4 p.m.7

1.
I am informed by the Danish Minister that he has been authorized to give the same protection to Ford and General Motors cars assembled in Denmark from American parts as to articles of Danish origin. He points out, however, that although the balance of trade between Denmark and Poland is favorable to Poland, he has been instructed not to make any threat of reprisals as regards coal should the Polish Government reduce or abolish contingents for automobiles or other Danish products.
2.
The Danish Minister has no better means than I have of knowing how large a contingent may eventually be granted for automobiles imported into Poland from Denmark. But the Minister assures me that all his influence will be exerted to obtain for importations from Denmark a contingent equal to that which we may obtain.
3.
Referring to my telegram No. 66 of September 27, and to the statement appearing in its paragraph 5, the Danish Legation has now officially notified the Polish Government that more than half the value of General Motors automobiles is added in Denmark.
4.
It is my opinion that if the Legation were authorized to protect only direct importations, the American interests would be best served. I believe that we have a fair chance, by unofficial cooperation with the Danish Legation, of obtaining a joint contingent greater than the present offer of 320 metric tons per quarter.
Stetson
  1. Latter not printed.↩