611.60i31/27
The Minister in Estonia (MacMurray) to the Secretary of
State
[Extract]
No. 654
Riga, March 22, 1935.
[Received April
4.]
Sir: I have the honor to enclose herewith
copies of a Memorandum handed to me at Tallinn, on February 27, by
Mr. Wirgo, Director of the Foreign Trade Bureau of the Estonian
Foreign Office, with reference to the desire of the Estonian
Government to modify the American-Estonian Treaty of Friendship,
Commerce and Consular Rights, of December 23, 1925. The substance of
this Memorandum was communicated to the Department in my telegram
(No. 3) from Tallinn, February 27, 5 p.m.;17 and it is to this
Memorandum that references were made in the Department’s telegram of
March 21, 5 p.m., to the Tallinn Legation,17 and in my reply (No. 29,
March 22, 2 p.m.) of today’s date.17
. . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Respectfully yours,
[Page 187]
[Enclosure]
Memorandum From the Director of the Foreign
Trade Bureau of the Estonian Foreign Office (Wirgo) to the American Minister (MacMurray)
[Tallinn, February 27,
1935.]
The Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Consular Rights between
Estonia and the United States of America is to remain in force
according to the stipulation of Article XXIX of this Treaty for
the term of ten years, i. e. until May 22, 1936. In the same
Article XXIX it is stipulated that “if within one year before
the expiration of the aforesaid period of ten years neither High
Contracting Party notifies to the other an intention of
modifying, by change or omission, any of the provisions of any
of the articles in this Treaty or of terminating it upon the
expiration of the aforesaid period, the Treaty shall remain in
full force and effect after the aforesaid period and until one
year from such a time as either of the High Contracting Parties
shall have notified to the other an intention of modifying or
terminating the Treaty.”
With reference to this stipulation and to the memorandum
submitted by this Ministry to the Legation of the United States
on January 23, 1935,19 the Ministry for Foreign Affairs has the
honor to ask the Legation to kindly convey to the Government of
the United States that the Estonian Government would like to see
the abovementioned Treaty modified.
The Ministry for Foreign Affairs has repeatedly called the
attention of the Government of the United States to the fact
that the balance of Esto-American trade has hitherto turned to a
considerable disadvantage for Estonia. As to the causes of such
a state of affairs it should be mentioned that the high rates of
customs duties in the United States of America doubtless are a
considerable impediment to the sale of Estonian goods to the
United States. In order to improve Esto-American trade relations
it would be helpful if the Government of the United States would
accord a fifty per cent reduction of import duties for the
following Estonian articles: flax, casein, galalith, butter,
spirits (brandy), liquors, sheet-glass, box boards, sweets
(confectionery), home work (handiwork) and cement, whereas for
Estonian cellulose a duty free admission should be consolidated.
Should the Government of the United States see their way to
agree to such reductions of import duties, the Estonian
Government would be prepared to enter into negotiations with the
Government of the United States concerning the modification of
the abovementioned Esto-American Treaty of Commerce.
