811.114 St. Pierre-Miquelon/434: Telegram
The Ambassador in France (Bullitt) to the Secretary of State
[Received 6:32 p.m.]
1194. Department’s telegram No. 475, November 23, 7 p.m. We have been informed by the Foreign Office that it intends to suggest [Page 435] to the Ministry of Colonies that it add to the decree proposed by the Administration of St. Pierre the following points:
(1) The importation of French alcohols with the exception of “aperitifs, eaux-de-vie et spiritueux beneficiant d’une appellation d’origine ou constituant des pupiluits [sic] de ‘marque’” shall be controlled by a quota strictly based upon the amount of local consumption with a view to eliminating fraud; (2) the “régime de la caution” with regard to the exportation of alcohol from St. Pierre will be maintained in force until the present stock in St. Pierre-Miquelon is exhausted; (3) the manufacture of “alcool de traite” will be prohibited.
We suggested to the Foreign Office that in view of the fact that in principle it wished to prohibit the exportation of alcohol from St. Pierre there should be in the proposed decree a specific provision to that effect. The Foreign Office informed us that it would suggest this matter to the Ministry of Colonies but that it doubted that the latter would agree thereto.
The Foreign Office likewise informed us that its suggestion with regard to placing a quota on the importation into St. Pierre of French alcohol would probably be refused by the Ministry of Colonies which would likely propose that instead there be placed an import tax of 15 francs per litre amounting to the same as the export tax at present in force in order that the colonies might thereby benefit by the increased revenue.
We have informed the Foreign Minister that we are reporting the foregoing to the State Department in order to ascertain the Department’s views thereon.