Office of the Historian

244. Telegram From the Department of State to the Mission to the European Communities1

Washington, July 21, 1964, 6:18 p.m.

Busec 50. For Fessenden from Herter. Request you deliver in person soonest following confidential letter to Hallstein. FYI. President has cleared text. End FYI.

Begin text.

Dear President Hallstein:

I am taking the liberty of writing to you personally about a matter of grave concern to my Government and to all of us, I think, who believe in the importance of the Kennedy Round.

At the present time, the negotiations appear to be in severe danger because of the continued failure to make progress in establishing negotiating [Page 652] rules for the various categories of agricultural products. If the negotiations are to go forward on schedule, substantial progress must be made on these rules and procedures well before November 16. The Executive Secretary of the GATT pointed out to the Trade Negotiations Committee on July 13 that unless we have made significant progress on agriculture by early autumn, it will be impossible to exchange offers and exceptions lists on November 16. Postponement would seriously risk the success of the entire negotiation.

In the past, your negotiators have taken the position that their mandate from the EEC Council will not permit them to move beyond the stand they have so far taken on agriculture in Geneva. I strongly hope that in facing the urgent test that now confronts us, your negotiators will be enabled to act more flexibly so as to permit a satisfactory solution to be reached.

For our part, let me reiterate, on behalf of President Johnson, our Government’s firm commitment to spare no effort to bring the Kennedy Round to a successful conclusion.

Most sincerely yours, Christian A. Herter

End text.

In discussing details of situation and possible ways out you may draw on Blumenthal’s statements to TNC (Tagg 2167 to Dept.) and to Spaak (Tagg 2169 to Dept.),2 leaving copies if you wish.

Since letter might be used against us in some quarters, you should ask that it be treated most confidentially.

FYI. Virtually identical letter being sent Erhard.3 End FYI.

Rusk
  1. Source: Department of State, Central Files, FT 13–2 US. Confidential; Priority. Drafted by Auchincloss; cleared by Deane R. Hinton (EUR/RPE), Greenwald (E/OT), Hedges, A. Richard DeFelice (Agriculture), and Bator; and approved by Roth.↩
  2. Documents 242 and 243.↩
  3. In telegram 192 to Bonn, July 21. (Department of State, Central Files, FT 13–2 US)↩