File No. 810.51/678
[Untitled]
Washington, June 29, 1916.
To the Diplomatic Officers of the United States in Latin American countries
Gentlemen: In order to make the direction of its work as effective as possible, the International High Commission which met at Buenos Aires in April last adopted a resolution providing for a Central Executive Council “whose duty it shall be to centralize and coordinate the labors of the Commission, to keep the several sections in constant touch with one another, and to carry out the conclusions of the International High Commission and the Pan American Financial Conferences, and to prepare the program, reports, and all other material necessary for the holding of the second meeting of the International High Commission.” The executive officers of the United States Section of the High Commission have become president, vice president and secretary general of this Council.
As one of the first steps in carrying into effect the important and constructive recommendations of the International High Commission at its Buenos Aires meeting, the office of the Central Executive Council desires to obtain the most accurate and recent information with reference to the status of national legislation on negotiable instruments and commercial paper. To this end the Central Executive Council, through the Secretary of the Treasury, has requested the [Page 25] Secretary of State to instruct the Diplomatic Officers of the United States in Latin American countries to send at as early a date as convenient a full statement of the legislation in each country with reference to
- (a)
- Bills of exchange; the status of legislation ratifying the Hague Convention on Bills of Exchange of 1912;
- (b)
- Checks;
- (c)
- Bills of lading;
- (d)
- Warehouse receipts.
The International High Commission is interested in these subjects chiefly from the point of view of their character as negotiable instruments, and while information relative to customs regulations and other financial machinery involving, for instance, bills of lading, will be noted with interest, the Commission are especially anxious to secure a summary of existing law or any proposed changes. In case the diplomatic representatives of the United States desire to forward commercial codes or any other printed matter, it would be of great assistance to the Central Executive Council if such representatives would inquire of competent legal authority as to the present effect of these laws.
It is not desired, however, that the diplomatic representatives should incur any expense in this connection.
The Department would be pleased to have you comply with the wishes of the Central Executive Council as far as practicable.
I am [etc.]