641.11241/59

The Chargé in Great Britain ( Atherton ) to the Secretary of State

No. 3688

Sir: Referring to the Department’s instruction No. 1623 of December 12, 1928, on the subject of customs and taxation privileges for the United States Consular Officers in Great Britain, I have the honor to advise the Department that an official note was sent to the Foreign Office on December 27, 1928, a copy of which is enclosed,37 inquiring whether it might not be found practicable to extend customs privileges to American Vice Consuls in Great Britain on an equal footing with those now extended to other Consular Officers.

On April 23, 1929, a reply was received from the Foreign Office in which the Embassy was informed that His Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom have decided that their treatment of United States Vice Consuls of career shall, in the future, be the same as that which is at present accorded to United States Consular officers of career of the grade of Consul General and Consul. A copy of the note in question is transmitted herewith.37

Upon receipt of this information I directed a further verbal inquiry to the Foreign Office, asking whether this treatment would be accorded to United States Vice Consuls of career in other parts of the British Empire. To this inquiry I have as yet had no reply, although the matter has been taken up on various occasions with the appropriate officials in the Foreign Office.

I am hoping that the British Government will inform me in the near future of its decision in this matter, but in the meantime a copy of the Foreign Office note of April 23, 1929, has been sent to the American Consul General in London who has, in turn, informed Consular offices in Great Britain and Northern Ireland of the decision reached by the British Government.

I have [etc.]

Ray Atherton
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  2. Not printed.