811.512358 Shipping/14
The Swedish Minister (Wallenberg) to the Secretary of State
Excellency: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Your note of the 16th instant, by which you were good enough to inform me that in the statutes now in force no provision is made for the exemption from taxation by the United States Government of the income derived from the operation of foreign ships prior to January 1, 1921.
The Swedish Government, being aware of this circumstance, had, however, in view of the facts:
- 1)
- that income of non-resident, foreign individuals, companies and corporations, derived from the operation of ships documented under the laws of the United States, is not now taxed in Sweden in any manner whatsoever; and
- 2)
- that the same tax exemption was effective even further back than January 1, 1917,
cherished the hope that the United States Government would deem it proper to enact such legislative measures as would extend the same exemption from taxation from the United States Government for the years prior to January 1, 1921.
Under such circumstances I beg leave to again apply for Your Excellency’s kind intermediary, in order that the question may be submitted to Congress for such legislation as would secure a satisfactory arrangement between our two countries.
With renewed assurances [etc.]