711.60p12A/17
The Minister at Riga ( Coleman ) to the Secretary of State
Sir: Referring to my despatch No. 6386, of September 9, 1929,16 transmitting copies of the Treaty of Arbitration and the Treaty of Conciliation between the United States and Estonia signed at Tallinn on August 27, 1929, I have the honor to report that in accordance with the Department’s instructions the Legation has taken up the question of similar treaties with the Latvian Foreign Office on several occasions during the last few months. Mr. Feldman, Chief of the Western Section of the Latvian Foreign Office, who is chargéd primarily with studying this question, informed a member of my staff recently that the Latvian Foreign Office has no objection to the two treaties in their present form. Mr. Feldman stated, however, that before the Latvian Government signs these treaties it desires to secure the authorization of the Latvian Saeima for Latvia to adhere to the Optional Clause of the Hague Statute. The whole question is now being discussed with the Commission on Foreign Relations of the Saeima. As soon as authorization to adhere to the optional clause has been obtained, the Latvian Government will be prepared to sign the Treaty of Arbitration and the Treaty of Conciliation with the United States17 as well as several similar treaties with foreign countries. Mr. Feldman stated that this would probably be in two or three months.
I have [etc.]