<pre>


           FOREIGN ECONOMIC AND COMMERCIAL POLICY              805

with regard to these items at this time. I shall give you my decision
on them as soon as possible. I should appreciate your informing the
Trade Agreements Committee to this effect.
  Very sincerely yours,                          HARRY S. TRUMANý


394.31/10-1250
Mllemorandunm by the Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Leo-
  nomnic Affairs (O'Gara) to the Director of the Executive Secretariat
  of the Department of State (McWilliams)
CONFIDENTIAL                       [WAsHINGTON,] October 12, 1950.

  If the Secretary should ask what, if anything, has been done to
follow up on the comment that Mr. Bevin made to him about the issue
of Imperial preferences at the Torquay tariff negotiations, you might
advise him as follows.
  1. A telegram was sent to the United States delegation at Torquay
giving the substance of the conversation.
  2. Harold Wilson, head of the United Kingdom delegation to the
conference,1 stressed the importance which the British attach to pref-
erences in his opening address and also in informal conversations with
Mr. Thorp.2
  3. However, Mr. Wilson indicated to Mr. Thorp that the United,
Kingdom is willing to grant concessions in margins of preference when
it is clearly advantageous to do so.
  4. The delegation is proceeding to handle the matter on an item-by-
item basis rather than in the more controversial context of the general
issue.
  5. If the matter should be raised with the Department again by the
British, they should be referred to the delegation.,
  'Mr. Wilson, a British Cabinet Minister, was President of the Board 'of
Trade.
  2Specifically, the views of Mr. Harold Wilson were communicated in a dinner
meeting with the Americans at Torquay on September 28. Thorp was Assistant
Secretary of State for Economic Affairs and Chairman of the United States;
Delegation. Also present were the deputies of the two principals, Carl D.
Corse
(U.S.) and Sir Stephen Holmes (U.K.). (Memorandum of conversation, Torquay,
September 28, 1950, International Trade Files, Lot 57D284, Box 138, Folder
&quot;UK
1950 TN/8100/Preliminary Negotiations&quot;)
  &quot;The Torquay tariff negotiations extended until April 21, 1951. The
British
imperial preference and other substantive issues that may be included will
be
documented in Foreign Relations, 1951, volume i.

394.31/11-1450
             The President to the Secretary of State

                                   WAsHINGTON, November 14, 1950.
  DEAR MR. SECRETARY: On September 29 I approved the Inter-
departmental Committee on Trade Agreement's recommendations of
     496-362--77  52

 
</pre>