FOREIGN ECONOMIC AND COMMERCIAL POLICY


this time would not get in a wrangle on the question of imperial pref-
erences. He said that the issue would not arise. He said the British
would do all possible to meet us on other matters but hoped that the
question of imperial preferences could be avoided.
  Mr. Acheson said that he would take the matter up with Willard
Thorp.3

  3Willard L. Thorp, Assistant Secretary of State for Economic Affairs, had
been
designated Chairman of the United States Delegation to the Third Round of
Tariff Negotiations under the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade. For
a list
of persons named to the United States Delegation, see Department of State
Bulletin, October 2, 1950, pp. 1553 ff. The Third 'Round opened at Torquay,
England,
on September 28.

394.31/9-2850
femeorandum by the Chief of the Commercial Policy Staff (Beale)
  to the Director of the Executive Secretariat of the Department of
  State (McWilliams)1

SECRET                          [WAsHINGTON,] September 28, 1950.
Subject: Proposed United States Offer on Wool
  As I told you by telephone, the Secretary of Agriculture has talked
with the President about the ,offer on wool which the Committee on
Trade Agreements has recommended should be made at Torquay and
which is opposed by the Department of Agriculture. On the basis
of a conversation with a member of Dr. Steelman's staff, I recommend
that Mr. Webb talk with the President about wool at the earliest op-
portunity. The Torquay Conference opens today (September 28)
and the President may make his decision on the offer list within the
next day or so. Wool is probably the most important single item in
the tariff negotiations and is the key not only to the negotiations with
Australia and New Zealand but, on the basis of our experience at
Geneva, will largely affect the outcome of our negotiations with the
British.
  Attached is a memorandum which it is recommended Mr. Webb
use as a basis for his conversation with the President.


                            [Attachment]
             PROPOSED UNITED STATES OFFER ON WOOL

  On Tuesday last the Committee on Trade Agreements forwarded
to you for your approval its recommendations regarding the conces-
sions we should offer and the requests we should make in the Torquay

  Marginal notation: "Mr. Webb took the attached to the W[hite] H[ouse]
on 9/28/50."


803