Office of the Historian

711.60p2/42

The Chargé in Latvia (Sussdorff) to the Secretary of State

Riga, October 15, 1928.
[Received October 27.]
No. 5616

Sir: I have the honor to refer to the Department’s Instruction No. 539, of July 10, 1928, transmitting the President’s instrument of ratification of the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Consular Rights between the United States and Latvia, signed at Riga on April 20, 1928, for exchange by the Legation for a similar instrument of ratification of the Treaty by the President of Latvia. In the last paragraph of the Instruction under reference, the Department informed the Legation that the United States Government will be willing to accord the privilege of free entry of personal property during their incumbency to Latvian consular officers in the United States by administrative action whenever it receives assurances from the Latvian Government in writing that the same privilege will be accorded to American consular officers in Latvia.

In this connection, I have the honor to transmit herewith copies of a Note which the Legation addressed to the Latvian Foreign Office on July 24, 1928,54 concerning the interpretation given by the Government of the United States to the most-favored-nation clause with respect to consular privileges and immunities, together with copies of a Note dated October 5, 1928, from the Latvian Foreign Office [Page 229] stating that, in view of the fact that the United States Government is willing to accord the privilege of free entry of personal property during their incumbency to Latvian consular officers in the United States on condition of reciprocity, consular officers of the United States in Latvia during their incumbency shall enjoy the privilege of free entry of personal property, beginning on October 15, 1928.

The substance of the Foreign Office Note of October 5, 1928, was transmitted to the Department in the Legation’s telegram No. 87, on October 12, 4 p.m., 1928, with the request that the Department telegraph to the Legation the date on which similar privileges will be accorded to Latvian Consuls of career in the United States.

I have [etc.]

Louis Sussdorff, Jr.
[Enclosure]

The Latvian Minister for Foreign Affairs (Balodis) to the American Chargé (Sussdorff)

Riga, October 5, 1928.

Sir: Referring myself to the note of His Excellency the American Minister dated July 24th, 1928, I take notice of the interpretation given by the Government of the United States to the most-favoured-nation clause in respect of consular privileges and immunities.

In view of the fact that your Government is willing to accord the privilege of free entry of personal property during their incumbency to Latvian consular officers in the United States on condition of reciprocity, I have the honour to state in the name of my Government that consular officers of the United States in Latvia during their incumbency shall enjoy the privilege of free entry of personal property.

I desire to point that the aforesaid privilege shall apply only to State consular officers (consules missi).

The present agreement shall become effective as from October 15th, 1928.

I beg [etc.]

A. Balodis
  1. Ante, p. 227.↩