659.11241/12
The Minister in Denmark (Dodge) to the Secretary of State
[Received April 16.]
Sir: My Despatch No. 736 of February 15th last enclosed a copy and translation of a note from Dr. Moltesen, Minister for Foreign Affairs, in reply to the Legation’s note of April 25th, 1928,15 relative [Page 928] to the extension of the privilege of free importation to American and Danish Consular Officers in the country of the other under the provisions of the Convention of 1826 between the United States and Denmark.16 This note stated that “the Danish Government were unable to share the opinion of the Government of the United States with regard to the scope of Article 10” of this Convention and promised a reply at a later date concerning a reciprocal arrangement for free importation by Consular Officers similar to that existing between the United States and Germany.
I have received this additional reply from Dr. Moltesen to-day, of which I enclose a copy and translation.17 It will be observed that this second note quotes a reply received from the Department of Customs and Consumption Duties of the Ministry of Finance to the effect that, in view of the laws now in force in Denmark, it will not be possible to grant freedom from customs duties for goods imported, for the use of Consular Officers. The reply also refers to customs privileges which the Danish law allows to Consular Officers. All of these, as the Department is aware, are already enjoyed by American Consular Officers here. The note ends by the statement of Dr. Moltesen that he must agree with the opinion expressed by the Department of Customs and Consumption Duties which “considers that for the present in any case there is no possibility of having a modification of the law adopted tending to the extension of this favor to Consular Officers” and that “therefore … it is not possible to effect an arrangement of such an extended character as that proposed.”
This reply of Dr. Moltesen is scarcely a surprise in view of the statements on this question of Count Reventlow, Director-General of the Foreign Office, which have been reported in Mr. Paddock’s Despatch No. 551 of July 21st, 1928,18 and in my Despatches Nos. 695 of December 20th19 and 736, above referred to. In recent conversations which I have had with him, Count Reventlow has continued to express the desire of the Foreign Office that it might be possible to conclude an agreement such as proposed and his doubt as to whether the Ministry of Finance could be induced to submit a Bill to the Rigsdag proposing the necessary modifications of the existing Law.
It is possible that if a Social Democratic Government should follow the elections for the Folketing, which are to take place on the 24th proximo, a renewal of the Department’s proposal would meet with a more favorable result.
I have [etc.]
- None printed.↩
- Miller, Treaties, vol. 3, p. 239.↩
- Not printed.↩
- Foreign Relations, 1928, vol. ii, p. 734.↩
- ibid., p. 739.↩