611.5131/912: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in France (Marriner)
420. Your 659, November 18, 11 a.m. Treasury Department advises it is under renewed and increased pressure from importers to issue immediately dress samples decree. We have been able to persuade Treasury to withhold promulgation of this decree for a few [Page 257] days longer but Treasury will not be able to do so indefinitely. Naturally, we are anxious to avoid giving something for nothing and are fearful that unless French Government issues immediately copper reclassification decree this will be the case. As you know it was formerly understood that the French Government would issue the copper decree in any event and on its own merits with no consideration of any quid pro quo. You should discreetly and emphatically recall this understanding immediately to the attention of the appropriate officials of the French Government and impress upon them this Government’s inability to understand the failure of the French to issue this decree forthwith. You should, of course, be careful not to intimate that it will probably be necessary for this Government to issue the dress samples decree in any event. Please telegraph results as soon as possible.