Office of the Historian

270. Memorandum From the President’s Deputy Special Counsel (Feldman) to President Kennedy0

Washington, March 8, 1963.

SUBJECT

  • Meeting with Senator Pastore

I met with Senators Pastore, MUSKIE, McGee, Talmadge, Kennedy, and Church at 5 o’clock yesterday. They expressed their disappointment with the meeting held between Governor Herter and representatives of the wool industry, and we discussed in general terms the problems of the industry.

At the conclusion of the meeting, Senator Pastore asked that Secretary Rusk call in the Ambassadors from the United Kingdom, Italy, and Japan and seek an agreement with them for quantitative limitations upon the imports of wool textiles.

I have asked Under Secretary Ball for his reaction to this suggestion. He strongly recommends against any attempt to negotiate with these nations. He does, however, believe it feasible to have Secretary Rusk call in the various Ambassadors, explain to them the pressures from the wool textile industry, and suggest to them that they do whatever is possible to obtain the consent of their wool textile industries to a limitation upon exports to the United States. He is confident that it is not possible to reach any firm agreement on any terms, and an effort to do so will result in a loss of prestige to the United States.

You might also tell Senator Pastore that we are instructing our Ambassadors abroad to make similar representations to the governments to which they are accredited.

Myer Feldman1
  1. Source: Kennedy Library, National Security Files, Kaysen Series, Trade Policy, Trade Expansion Act. No classification marking.↩
  2. Printed from a copy that bears this typed signature.↩