702.0641D/10
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in the Irish Free State (Denby)
Sir: The Department encloses a copy of a despatch dated February 20, 1934, received from the American Consul General at Dublin,2 concerning the payment of road motor tax by consular officers stationed in the Irish Free State. The Consul General states that the Belgian Consul General has refused to pay the tax for the past two years on the ground that no such tax is levied in Belgium and that the French Minister has obtained full exemption for the French Consul and the French Commercial Agent from the payment of the road motor tax and the drivers’ license tax.
No Federal tax similar to the road motor tax is imposed upon consular officers of the Irish Free State stationed in the United States. The laws of some of the states in which consular officers of the Irish Free State reside impose similar charges for issuing automobile tags to foreign consular officers usually on the basis of reciprocity. The grounds upon which the French Minister obtained exemption for [Page 998] French consular officers are not set forth. The granting of such exemption may be a discrimination against American consular officers who are held by the Irish Free State to be responsible for the tax.
Under the circumstances you are requested to take up this matter with the appropriate authorities of the Irish Free State and to use your best endeavors to obtain an exemption for American consular officers from the road motor tax. Please submit a report, setting forth the action taken by you pursuant to this instruction.
Very truly yours,
- Not printed.↩