CYPHER/CAT A
PRIORITY WASHINGTON
TELNO 3122
LAST
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
GUARD
ΤΟ
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
13 NOVEMBER 1969
3351) 340
K271
336
Us File
NEUTRAL
P
ODRESSED TO F.C.O. TELEGRAM NO.3122 OF 13 NOVEMBER REPEATED FOR
INFORMATION TO UKMIS GENEVA TOKYO OTTAWA HONG KONG AND, SEOUL.
IN
GUARD
R GETRY NO.1
UKMIS GENEVA TELEGRAM NO.626 : TEXTILES.
NINJV 1969
AKK6/JOY //
COMMERCIAL COUNSELLOR ASKED KATZ, THE DEPUTYL ASSISTANT SECRETARY
OF STATE DEALING WITH TEXTILES, TODAY JUST WHAT WAS GOING ON.
2. KATZ (PLEASE PROTECT) AGREED THAT THE POSITION WAS CONFUSED, WHICH HE ATTRIBUTED TO THE CONFUSING NATURE OF THE JAPANESE PROPOSALS=
THE U.S. GOVERNMENT WERE IN ALMOST DAILY CONSULTATION WITH THE JAPANESE. ALTHOUGH NOTHING WAS YET SETTLED BILATERAL CONSULTATIONS MIGHT TAKE PLACE VERY SOON, POSSIBLY IN GENEVA UNDER ARTICLE XXII. THESE WOULD, THE AMERICANS HOPED, BE CONCERNED WITH SUBSTANTIVE SOLUTIONS TO THE TEXTILE PROBLEM, BUT COULD ALSO COVER ARRANGEMENTS FOR A MULTILATERAL MEETING IF THE JAPANESE CONTINUED TO PRESS FOR
ONE. KATZ SAW NO REASON WHY BILATERAL DISCUSSIONS WITH SUPPLIER
COUNTRIES SHOULD NOT LEAD UP TO A MULTILATERAL DISCUSSION. HE CLEARLY ENVISAGED THAT THE BILATERAL TALKS WOULD BE THE SUBSTANTIVE ONES, THOUGH HE ADDED THAT THE UNITED STATES WOULD NOT OBJECT TO A MULTILATERAL NEGOTIATION ON MATTERS OF SUBSTANCE IF THIS WAS WHAT SUPPLIER COUNTRIES NOW WANTED. HE PERSONALLY SAW SOME ADVANTAGE
IN BRINGING BILATERAL ARRANGEMENTS UNDER SOME BROAD MULTILATERAL
DISCIPLINE.
3. THE MEETING WITH THE JAPANESE COULD NOT NOW TAKE -LACE BEFORE MR. SATO'S VISIT AND WOULD NOT BE LINKED DIRECTLY WITH IT. PRESIDENT
NIXON'S BRIEF WOULD PROBABLY INDICATE WHERE MATTERS HAD GOT TO
/BUT WOULD NOT BE
CONFIDENTIAL
GUARD