5727/251
The Acting Secretary of State to the Spanish Minister.
Washington, September 18, 1908.
Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your note of the 12 instant, requesting that the privileges granted by this Government to Germany and certain other countries of Europe as regards acceptance of certificates of value issued by the chambers of commerce in those countries be extended to Spain, under the existing commercial agreement between the United States and Spain.
In reply I have the honor to inform you that, in each instance where the chambers of commerce of a foreign country have been treated on the same footing as the German chambers of commerce under the terms of the commercial agreement between the United States and Germany, it has previously been shown that those organizations are under some measure of official control or supervision, thus giving them a quasi-governmental status and affording reasonable grounds for relying upon the accuracy of the certificates as to values which they issue for use in connection with goods shipped to the United States.
I have, therefore, the honor to request that you advise the department as to the organization and operations of the chambers of commerce in Spain whose certificates your Government desires shall be received as competent evidence by the appraising officers of the United States when accompanying goods exported from Spain to this country, and that you furnish, if possible, copies of the laws and regulations governing those bodies. Upon receipt of this information the department will take pleasure in referring the matter for action to the Department of the Treasury.
Accept, etc.,