File No. 5727/113–114.
The Chargé of Austria-Hungary to the Secretary of State .
Bar Harbor , August 15, 1907 .
Your Excellency: In the last sentence of your esteemed note No. 262 of June 28 last, Your Excellency had the kindness to inform me that the Federal Government was willing to declare applicable to Austria-Hungary certain nonaclministrative provisions of the American-German commercial agreement which are enumerated in the note, provided conditions in this country permitted it, and if the Austro-Hungarian Government should express a desire to that effect.
In conformity with this declaration Your Excellency had already intimated on June 20 last that, in view of the desire of the Austro-Hungarian Government to have the certificates of value of the Austrian and Hungarian chambers of commerce recognized, it would be well to send a copy of the laws relating to chambers of commerce to the Federal Government, in order that their official character might be examined into, this having already been done by the French Embassy here.
I reported accordingly to Vienna, and now have the honor to place at Your Excellency’s disposal a copy of the Austrian law of June 29, 1868 (Imperial Law Bulletin No. 85), in which the official character of the Austrian chambers of commerce and industry is shown in an unequivocal manner. In paragraph 2 of this law there are mentioned among the duties of the chambers of commerce and industry several which are of a purely official character. According to paragraph 3 of the law these bodies are under the Austrian minister of commerce and have to carry out his orders.
In compliance with instructions received from the Austro-Hungarian Government, I have the honor to request Your Excellency to kindly notify me whether the Federal Government is now willing to recognize the Austrian chambers of commerce and industry on the same basis as those of the German Empire as far as the issuance of certificates of value of merchandise is concerned.
While reserving the right to make known to you the desires of the Austro-Hungarian Government with regard to the Hungarian chambers of commerce and industry as soon as I receive the appropriate instructions, I avail myself, etc.,