56
concurs in the terms of the proposed instructions to the British Delegate to the Meeting of the Permanent Sugar Commission to be held on the 25th instant.
Attached to 26035
SIR,
No. 74.
I am,
&c.,
C. P. LUCAS.
INDIA OFFICE to FOREIGN OFFICE.
India Office, July 25, 1907. Ix reply to your letter of the 22nd instant, forwarding a copy of the draft instructions which it is proposed to issue to the British Delegate at tlie forthcoming meeting of the Permanent Sugar Commission, I am directed to inform you that the Secretary of State for India does not wish to offer any observations on the draft.
26673
No. 75.
I am, &c.;
A. GODLEY.
FOREIGN OFFICE to COLONIAL OFFICE.
(Received July 27, 1907.)
The Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs presents his compliments to the Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, and, by direction of the Secretary of State, transmits herewith copies of the under-mentioned papers,
Foreign Office,
July 26, 1907.
DESCRIPTION OF ENCLOSURES.
Name and Date.
Subject.
Sir E. Goschen (Vienna), No. 37, Commercial,
11th July.
Belgian Minister, 25th July
Count de Salis (Berlin), No. 151, Commercial,
20th July.
Sugar Convention.
57
expected to regard the matter with very benevolent feelings. As regards my ques- tion he must answer it with an emphatic negative. The agreement of the various contracting Powers to the course proposed by His Majesty's Government was, in his opinion, a matter to be decided at the meeting of the Sugar Commission, and not one which could properly be discussed between Cabinet and Cabinet.
He was obliged, therefore, to tell me that the Austro-Hungarian Government must emphatically decline to express any opinion as to the course proposed by Ilis Majesty's Government before its views became known through the medium of the Commission which was to hold a meeting for the discussion of the British proposals towards the end of the month..
I observed to Baron d'Aehrenthal that it was clear from my instructions that you did not expect the course of action of His Majesty's Government in this matter to form the subject of a full discussion "between Cabinet and Cabinet," and that you merely wished to have an expression of opinion as to whether the Austro- Hungarian Government agreed to it "in principle." I added that it was evident from all the despatches I had read on the subject that His Majesty's Government attached the greatest possible weight to the views and desires of the Governments interested, and that there was no desire to revive sugar bounties or trusts or to treat cane or Colonial sugars more favourably than beet or foreign sugars. Under all the circumstances I could not see why His Excellency should give such an emphatic and categorical refusal to what appeared to me a very reasonable request. His Excellency replied that he fully realized that, having once decided upon this very inopportune and embarrassing action with regard to the sugar question. His Majesty's Government desired that its adoption should do as little harm as possible, but that he must adhere to his first answer, namely, that he must decline for the present to make any statement as to whether the Austro-Hungarian Government agreed in principle to the course proposed by His Majesty's Government or not.
I have, &c., Sir Edward Grey, Bart., M.P.,
W. E. GOSCHEN. &c., &c., &c.
Enclosure 2 in No. 75.
MONSIEUR LE SECRÉTAIRE D'ETAT,
Londres, le 25 Juillet, 1907. Pour faire suite à la communication que j'ai eu l'honneur d'adresser à Votre Excellence le 22 de ce mois, j'ai été chargé de porter à sa connaissance que le Gouvernement austro-hongrois a adhéré à la proposition de convoquer la Com- mission Permanente des sucres pour le 25 de ce mois.
Son Excellence
Sir E. Grey, Bart., M.P.,
&c., &c., &c.
Je saisis, &c.,
LALAING.
(Copies sent to other Sugar Offices.)
PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ||||
C.O.8
Reference :-
.885
18 PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE, LONDON
ALLY WITHOUT PERMISSION OF THE BE REPRODUCED PHOTOGRAPHIC-
COPYRIGHT PHOTOGRAPH-NOT TO
Enclosure 1 in No. 75.
(No. 37. Commercial.)
*
SIR,
Vienna, July 11, 1907.
I HAVE the honour to report that, in accordance with the instructions con- tained in your telegram, Commercial, No. 4, of yesterday's date, I called upon Baron d'Aehrenthal to-day and asked him whether I could inform you that the Austro-Hungarian Government agreed in principle to the course proposed by His Majesty's Government with regard to the Sugar Convention.
His Excellency, who was on the point of leaving Vienna, told me that he could answer my question in very few words. The action of Ilis Majesty's Government with regard to the Sugar Convention had placed the Austrian Government in a very disagreeable position, and had, amongst other things, complicated their nego→ tiations with Hungary at a very critical moment, and just when a satisfactory solution of the compromise question was in sight. He could not, therefore, be
• See Enclosure in No. 68.
•
Enclosure 3 in No. 75.
(No. 151. Commercial.)
SIR,
Berlin, July 20, 1907. I HAVE the honour to enclose a translation of a paragraph which has appeared in several German newspapers, stating that the Permanent Committee of the German "Landwirtschaftsrat" have passed a resolution to the effect that if England withdraws from the Convention, Germany should also do so. It is not considered desirable that England should have an exceptional right to import bounty fed sugar without levying countervailing duties. The Committee will have special proposals to make should the question of altering the convention be discussed. They further ask for a reduction of the sugar tax from 14 to 10 marks.
The German
+
Landwirtschaftsrat" is an important body, being the central authority representing the numerous Agricultural Associations in Germany.
A leading article in the "Kolnische Zeitung" points out that a denunciation of the Convention by England would be favourable to Russian sugar, but would not give it a monopoly, as it could by no means supply the entire demand of the English market. It would still be German and Austrian sugar which would fix the price there.
28.370
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