Office of the Historian

857h.01/14

The Secretary of State to the Norwegian Minister (Bryn)

Washington, April 30, 1924.

Sir: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of March 20, 1924, in which you bring up the question of Russian adherence to the Spitzbergen Treaty and ask whether the United States of America would raise any objection if Russia should be invited to adhere to this Treaty at the same time as the other powers not signatory to the Treaty are invited to adhere.

In reply I have the honor to inform you that, in the opinion of this Government, the question raised in your note appears to be covered by the provisions of Article 10 of the Spitzbergen Treaty as effective between the high contracting parties.3

Accept [etc.]

Charles E. Hughes

  1. The pertinent clauses in the treaty read as follows:

    “Until the recognition by the High Contracting Parties of a Russian Government shall permit Russia to adhere to the present Treaty, Russian nationals and companies shall enjoy the same rights as nationals of the High Contracting Parties.

    . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

    “Third Powers will be invited by the Government of the French Republic to adhere to the present Treaty duly ratified. This adhesion shall be effected by a communication addressed to the French Government, which will undertake to notify the other Contracting Parties.”

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