Office of the Historian

711.60p2/27: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Minister in Latvia (Coleman)

Washington, February 29, 1928—3 p.m.

14. Your 3, January 10, 1 p.m. and Department’s 9, February 2, 2 p.m.

1. In view of the Department’s interpretation of the treaty as set forth on pages 4 to 6 of instruction No. 479 of December 15, 1927, the only effect of an exception in regard to State monopolies would be to leave the parties free of any obligation to accord most favored nation treatment to each other in respect of them. As Latvian Government has stated that it does not desire to exercise such freedom with regard to United States, Department does not understand why Latvian Government insists upon the exception.

2. Department has been unable to verify statement that all treaties concluded by Latvia contain references to State monopolies, as no such reference has been found in treaties concluded by Latvia with following countries on dates given:

United Kingdom, June 22, 1923;40 The Netherlands, July 2, 1924;41 Norway, August 14, 1924;42 Finland, August 23, 1924;43 France, October 30, 1924;44 Denmark, November 3, 192445 and Sweden, December 22, 1924.46

3. Department would be glad to have a more definite statement than has hitherto been furnished of the views of the Lavian Government in regard to position of this Government. It would therefore be glad to have you, unless you perceive objection, again bring to the attention of the Foreign Office the substance of the statements set forth on pages 4 to 6 inclusive of instruction No. 479 and paragraphs 1 and 2 of this telegram.

Kellogg
  1. League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. xx, p. 395.↩
  2. Ibid., vol. xxxvii, p. 121.↩
  3. Ibid., vol. xxxvi, p. 211.↩
  4. Ibid., vol. xxxvii, p. 383.↩
  5. Ibid., p. 399.↩
  6. Ibid., vol. xxxiii, p. 393.↩
  7. Ibid., vol. xxxvi, p. 283.↩