711.60i12A/7
The Secretary of State to the Minister at Riga (Coleman)
Sir: The Department has received your No. 5346 of June 4, 1928, and the enclosed copy of a note from the Estonian Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs.
The Department is also in receipt of letters, dated April 12 and June 2, 1928, from the Latvian Consul General in New York,11 in which he acknowledges receipt of the draft treaty of arbitration and the draft treaty of conciliation and expresses the friendly disposition of his Government to negotiate treaties on the basis of these drafts.
This Government has now offered similar treaties of arbitration to thirty countries and similar treaties of conciliation to twenty countries and has proceeded to the signature of eight arbitration treaties and five conciliation treaties. It is desirable that as large a number as possible of these treaties shall be signed before the convening of Congress on December 3rd, in order that they may be submitted to the Senate for its advice and consent.
On the other hand, the Department desires to maintain as far as practicable the uniformity of this series of treaties and would avoid alterations at the suggestion of the other countries as far as possible. It would avoid, through an appearance of too great anxiety in the matter, inviting other countries to feel that they can readily obtain changes in the draft treaties.
Keeping the foregoing in mind, however, you are requested to make an effort to expedite the consideration of this matter by the Government of Estonia and the Government of Latvia and to encourage them to instruct their Consuls General in New York to proceed to signature at an early date.
I am [etc.]
- Neither printed.↩