837.61351/12–2244: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Ambassador in Cuba (Braden)
969. The interested agencies of this Government consider that since a proposal has been submitted to the Cuban Commission and no official reply has been received, we are not inclined to indicate any amendments in our proposal at the present time. This refers to your telegram no. 1076, December 22.
It may be mentioned, for your personal and confidential information, that sugar prospects in the Philippines are not as favorable as shown by reports of several months ago. Consequently we wish to provide for 1946 sugar in our purchase agreement. We would prefer that, in making your reply to Seiglie, you not mention this but only that we are disinclined to make any amendments in our present proposal until a reply has been received from the Cubans. Upon acceptance by them of the price of 3 cents, we should be quite prepared to receive and consider a counter proposal involving our complete offer, and we consider that this position can in no way be interpreted as putting pressure on the Cuban Government.