Office of the Historian

250. Message From Foreign Secretary Home to Secretary of State Rusk0

London, August 21, 1962.

We have been very disturbed by the progress through Congress of the Bill which would double the duty on lightweight bicycles with curved frames. I understand that the Senate is expected to vote on it very shortly, and that, if this vote is favourable, the Bill will become law unless it is vetoed by the President.

In itself this would be a severe blow to the British bicycle industry, which has been doing a valuable trade in these machines with the United States. But what disturbs me even more is that this Bill is only the latest of a series of obstacles put in the way of our exports to the United States. I have in mind the difficulties we have experienced over glass and carpets, [Page 537] the wool tariff, the valuation for duty on chemicals, the duties on bottled whisky, certain aspects of the “Buy-American” Campaign, and so on. The cumulative effect of all these measures, particularly if the latest Bill is added to them, is to raise serious doubts about the United States Administration’s ability to withstand protectionist pressure from domestic industry.

We here have made no secret of our admiration for the lead you have given the world by advocating liberal trade policies. If, however, public opinion in the United Kingdom decided that the United States Government were themselves unable in practice to apply these policies, the reaction would be very serious, and would not be confined to the commercial firms chiefly concerned. This is something which both of us are anxious to avoid, and it is this which prompts me to address this message to you. I know that you have done everything you can to oppose this Bill, and I am most grateful. If it should be passed by Congress despite your efforts, however, I do most earnestly beg of you to do everything possible to see that it does not become law.1

  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, 411.414/8-2462. Confidential. Transmitted under cover of a letter from Lord Hood, the British Charge, to Secretary Rusk, August 24.↩
  2. On September 4, in a letter to Lord Hood, Secretary Rusk informed him that the bill to revise the tariff on lightweight bicycles was passed over on objection in the Senate and that no further Senate action had yet been taken. “Let me assure you,” he concluded, “that we are closely following the legislative proceedings on this bill and will do everything we possibly can.” (Ibid.)↩