[Inclosure 1 to No.
208.]
Mr. Anderson to Count RosenörnLehn.
Legation of the United
States,
Copenhagen, August 11,
1887.
Excellency: In obedience to
instructions from my Government, I have the honor to ask
your excellency to have the goodness to inform me whether,
in the ports of Denmark, or in any dependency, thereof, any
discrimination exists against vessels of the United States
as compared with the vessels of Denmark (other than those
engaged in the coasting or colonial trade), or the vessels
of any third country.
Should any such discrimination exist I will be obliged to you
if you will inform me in regard to its precise nature and
extent.
I avail myself, etc.,
[Inclosure 2, in No.
208Translation.]
Count RosenörnLehn to Mr. Anderson.
Copenhagen,
February 22,
1888.
Mr. Minister: In a note dated
August 11 of last year, you desire to ascertain whether in
the ports of Denmark, or any dependency thereof, any
discrimination exists against vessels of the United States
as compared with the vessels of Denmark (other than those
engaged in the coasting or colonial trade), or the vessels
of any third country.
In reply I have the honor to make the following
statement:
According to Article 3 of the treaty of April 26, 1826,
between Denmark and the United States, United States vessels
engaged in the Danish foreign carrying trade are, in the
ports of Denmark, to be treated in every respect the same as
Danish vessels.
Ship dues, which in Denmark have replaced the former tonnage,
lighthouse, and clearance dues, and are the only ones
collected, are therefore exacted of United States vessels
according to the same rules as of Danish vessels, and in the
royal and municipal harbors they pay the same harbor and
wharf dues as the Danish ships (at least in case the Danish
vessel does not belong in the harbor concerned, as in some
municipal harbors, Copenhagen excepted, the harbor dues are
lower for such vessels than for other Danish vessels).
In the abovementioned note you did not include vessels
engaged in the coasting trade. I would, however, state for
your information upon this point, that His Majesty’s
Government is willing, in case of reciprocal action on the
part of the United States, to grant United States vessels
the right of free coast trade between the harbors of the
kingdom upon an equal footing with Danish vessels.
According to article 6 of the treaty of 1826, the provisions
of that treaty are not to apply to Iceland, the Faroe
Islands, Greenland, or the Danish West Indies.
By independent legislation in Iceland, no restrictions or
discriminations in the treatment of United States vessels
are provided for, save those in regard to the coasting trade
and the trade between Iceland and this kingdom, and His
Majesty’s Government is willing, in case of reciprocity on
the part of the United States, to remove the discrimination
against United States vessels.
The laws governing the Faroe Islands require of United States
vessels visiting these islands for purposes of trade,
besides the usual tonnage dues, the supplementary charge of
2 kroner per ton of the vessel’s tonnage, and in addition
thereto the abovementioned restriction in regard to the
coasting trade and the trade between the islands and the
Kingdom is in force. But inasmuch as this supplementary
charge has by treaty already been removed in regard to
vessels of various other nations, His Majesty’s Government
is willing to extend this favor to those of the United
States, and also in case of reciprocity to extend to them
the privileges of the coasting trade among these islands, as
well as of the trade between these islands and the
Kingdom.
In the Danish West Indies, United States vessels are, upon
the whole, treated in all respects the same as Danish
vessels.
Finally, I may call your attention to the fact that the trade
of Greenland is no more open to Danish vessels than to
foreign vessels, that trade being reserved exclusively for
the crown.
I seize this opportunity of renewing to you, etc.
