OPY
To. A. 3120/184/45.
HIS EXCELLENCY
"
FOREIGN OFFICE, S.W.1.
1st July, 1925.
Your Excellency,
In connection with the note which I have had the
honour of addressing to Your Excellency under to-day's date regarding the request of the United States Government
that diplomatic status should be granted to the represen-
tatives of the Customs Division of the United States
Treasury Department, I beg leave to inform you that His Majesty's Government have given careful consideration to the character of the duties performed by these officials
in this country.
2. His Majesty's Government observe from your note of May 18th that it is one of the duties of the officials in question to enquire into the cost of produc- tion of merchandise exported to the United States, if information on this point should be considered necessary for appraisement purposes under the United States Tariff
Act of 1922.
3.
The
You are aware that His Majesty's Government have already found it necessary to protest against the prosecution of this particular form of enquiry. enquiry amounts to a demand on British firms to divulge trade secrets, accompanied by a warning that, if the demand is not compiled with by the exporting firm, the goods of that firm may (under the interpretation given to section 510 of the Tariff Act) be denied entry into
the
THE HONOURABLE
ALANSON B. HOUGHTON,
etc.,
etc.,
etc.
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