660p.11212 Lard/8
The Minister in Latvia ( Coleman ) to the Secretary of State
[Received March 28.]
Sir: I have the honor to refer to despatch No. 125, of January 14, 1928, from the American Consul at Riga, enclosing copies of a decree dated January 10, 1928, issued by the Government of Latvia regarding the authentication by the Latvian representatives abroad of the certificates of origin accompanying shipments of lard imported into Latvia, to the Department’s telegram No. 15, of March 6, 4 p.m.,56 instructing the Legation to endeavor to persuade the Latvian Government to be satisfied with the regular Department of Agriculture Export Certificate without a visa by Latvian Consuls, and to my telegram No. 23, of March 7, 1928,56 stating that as a result of representations made by the Legation, Consulate and Commercial Attaché, the Latvian regulation requiring a consular visa was cancelled on March 3rd and that the export certificates of the Department of Agriculture will again be accepted in Latvia.
On February 18, 1928, the Legation received a letter, dated February 14, from the American Consulate at Hamburg, enclosing a copy of the Department’s telegram of February 13, 6 p.m., to the Consulate,56 concerning this subject. Upon receipt of this telegram, the Legation took up the matter with the Latvian Foreign Office and secured a promise that the decree requiring the visaeing by Latvian Consuls of certificates of origin covering lard shipments into Latvia would be cancelled. The order of cancellation was published in Valdibas Vestnesis No. 51, of March 3, 1928.
In this connection, I have the honor to report that the question of certificates of origin had been discussed for several weeks at the weekly meetings which take place between a member of my staff, the American Consul at Riga and the Commercial Attaché of the Legation for the purpose of discussing commercial matters. The American Consul at Riga, who, it will be observed, first brought the question of certificates of origin on lard to the Department’s attention in his despatch of January 14th, discussed the matter with the organized commercial circles here and pointed out that the decree of January 10th instituted an unusual procedure not in force in [Page 232] other countries. The Commercial Attaché also discussed the question on several occasions with the Latvian Department of Agriculture and with the local representatives of the American lard exporters.
A copy of this despatch is being transmitted to the American Consul at Hamburg for his information.
I have [etc.]