Memorandum of Conversation with Secretary of State Dean Acheson and Ambassador of the Dominican Republic Luis Francisco Thomen

s/s DEPARTMENT OF STATE 003781 Memorandum of Conversation 206 DATE: July 22, 1949 SUBJECT: Possible Withdraval of Sugar Concession to the ARCHIVES C RECORDS AND Dominican Republic at Annecy 6 PARTICIPANTS: Secretary of State Sr. Dr. Luis Francisco Thomen, Dominican Ambassador ARA COPIES TO: ITP - Nr. Brown & Miss Milliams CP - Mr. Woolf United States Delegation, Anneey AmFebassy, Ciudad Trujilio (informally) 1-1493 The Deminican Ambassador called at his request and stated he had been instructed to inform ne of the deep concern with which his government regards the proposed withdrawal of the preliminary offer to the Deminican Republic for a reduction in the United Ststes tariff on sugar. The Ambassador stated that although this tariff reduction alone vould not increase the amount of Dominican sugar entering the United States, his government attPibutes great importance to the maintenance of the preliminary offer for two reasons: (1) it would be a first step towards the ultimate removal of preferences by the United States and the eventual establishment of equal treatment for all foreign sugar entering the United States, and (2) it vould be a diplomatic defeat for the Dominican Republic were the offer to be withdrawn because it has become publicly known that the offer was made and that the govern- ment of Cuba has protested. The Ambassador referred in this connection to official statements by the United States government regarding the desirability of equal treatment and the end of preferences in international trade. The DECLASSIFIED E. O. 11652, Sec. 3(E) and 5(D) or (E) Dept. of State letter, By NLT- HC , NARS Date 4-27-76