The Department perceives no useful purpose in pursuing conversations on
this matter with the “Minister of Slovakia”.
[Enclosure—Memorandum]
[Washington,] August 17,
1939.
A Consulate cannot very well be established in Slovakia by the United
States unless this Government is willing to recede from the position
assumed by it on the German occupation of Czechoslovakia last March.
At that time, namely on March 17, the State Department advised the
Treasury that “in view of the recent military occupation of the
Provinces of Bohemia, Moravia, and Slovakia of Czechoslovakia by
German armed forces and the assumption of control over these areas
by German authorities, the State Department, while not recognizing
any legal basis for the assumption of so-called protection over this
territory, is constrained by force of the foregoing circumstances to
regard the above-mentioned Provinces as being under the de facto administration of the German
authorities. …”15
On March 14, 1939, Dr. F. Ďurčanský, “Minister of Foreign Affairs of
Slovakia,” addressed an appeal to the American Government for
recognition of the Slovak State.16 This was filed without acknowledgment. A
similar communication was apparently sent to the Argentine
Government as the Ambassador of that country asked the Department
what it intended to do about it as Argentina wished to pursue the
same course as the United States. Several American diplomatic
representatives abroad have also been approached by Slovak officials
for recognition of the State of Slovakia. The principal reason for
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these overtures was the
difficulties which have arisen over the marking of goods from this
area in connection with their importation into the United
States.
On July 11 the Consulate General in Prague informed the Department by
telegram that the local press had reported that Slovak official
circles had made it known that after July 15 consular offices of all
states which had not recognized the new Slovak State would no longer
be permitted to function in Slovakia. Nothing further in this
connection has been received by the Department.
Despite the hardships that may be suffered because of the
nonexistence of an American consular office in Slovakia, both by
those resident in Slovakia and in the United States, it is not
thought that this Government is prepared to abandon its position of
nonrecognition of Slovakia. The situation in Slovakia has not
changed and German military forces occupy parts of Western and
Northern Slovakia. There, therefore, appears to be no alternative
but to inform Dr. Wise in the above sense.
