662.6331/84

Memorandum by the Assistant Secretary of State (Castle) of a Conversation With the German Ambassador (Von Prittwitz)

The German Ambassador brought up informally the question of the Austro-German Customs Union and said that he was glad to notice that the excitement seemed to be dying down very rapidly in Europe. He said it seemed to him perfectly obvious that a customs union had nothing to do with most-favored-nation treatment. He pointed out, for example, that France has a customs union with Monaco and that in the negotiation of the French-Austrian treaty that the subject was never mentioned. The Ambassador feels that, as we have most-favored-nation treaties with both France [Germany] and Austria,2 this customs union will not really affect us. He left with me the attached statement3 which is quoted from the recommendations of the Economic Committee of the League of Nations.

W[iliam] R. C[astle] Jr.
  1. See pp. 847 ff.
  2. Not printed.