659.1112/38
The Minister in Denmark (Coleman) to the
Secretary of State
No. 146
Copenhagen, September 17, 1932.
[Received
October 4.]
Sir: Referring to the Legation’s despatch
No. 130 of August 18th, I have the honor to inclose an Aide-Mémoire which Mr. Winship was asked to leave with Mr.
Mohr, Chief of the
Economic Division in the Foreign Office on September 12th and Mr.
Winship’s Memorandum.
Mr. Mohr was informed that I
did not bring this protest personally since I was awaiting an answer
to my similar communication of August 18th.
If and when a reply is received the Department will be promptly
informed.
The present case is the most glaring one of discrimination which has
come to the attention of the Legation.
While the Consulate General and the office of the Commercial Attaché
continue to receive complaints, I have informed both that no further
protests will be made to the Foreign Office unless by special
instructions from the Department.
It is likely that the Department will await the promised reply from
the Foreign Office before further instructions.
Respectfully yours,
[Enclosure 1]
The American
Legation to the Danish Ministry
for Foreign Affairs
Aide-Mémoire
The attention of the Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs is again
invited by the American Legation to a clear case of
discrimination against the commerce of the United States
practiced by a legal agency of the Royal Danish Government by
the refusal of the Exchange Control Board to permit Mr.
Joh. Ph. Beck, H. C.
Ørstedsvej 28, Copenhagen, to import material from the United
States.
Mr. Beck is the
representative of the United States Gypsum Company in Denmark.
He has accepted orders for “Sheetrock” wall board to be used in
buildings here now under construction.
His request for permission to import has been refused Respite the
fact that he did not ask for or require foreign exchange in
payment of such imports. The matter of exchange does not enter
into this case.
[Page 166]
While specifically refusing its permission to Mr. Beck to import such material
ordered from him by the builders of the new Magasin du Nord
structure, the Exchange Control Board has granted a permit to
Mr. P. Monberg of Copenhagen to import wall
board material manufactured in Great Britain which has never
before been imported into Denmark and which costs 17 per cent
more than the United States products.
Mr. Beck is authority for
the facts and figures mentioned and there is no reason to doubt
them.
Assuming their truth, the Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs is
respectfully requested to bring to the notice of the Exchange
Control Board their discrimination against the commerce of the
United States and to inquire whether the Board purposes to
continue its refusal to permit such imports by Mr. Beck even when no request for
foreign exchange is contemplated.
Considering the serious damage and prejudice to the present
commerce of the United States with Denmark, which the case cited
above so plainly illustrates, it will be appreciated if the
Royal Ministry of Foreign Affairs will furnish the American
Legation the information requested with all possible despatch in
order that the United States Government may be fully and
promptly apprised of the policy of the Royal Danish Government
in respect to present and future American commerce.
The American Minister, who is principally charged with the
fostering of the most friendly relations between the two
Nations, by Treaty confirmed, begs His Excellency, the Minister
of Foreign Affairs, to employ his good offices in removing those
present obstacles to the fair and just commercial relations
between Denmark and the United States which, until now, have
endured without prejudice for over a hundred years.
Copenhagen, September 12,
1932.
[Enclosure 2]
Memorandum by the Counselor of the American
Legation (Winship)
Copenhagen, September 12,
1932.
In presenting the attached note7 to Mr.
Mohr, Director of the
Political-Economic Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Mr. Mohr stated that it
was quite possible that this case as well as others had
occurred, but that this procedure was in no way
discriminatory.
[Page 167]
He referred again to the sliding scale on which import permits by
countries are granted based on the import and export statistics
covering the last 3-year period with the diminishing or
increasing returns for the countries whose imports from Denmark
decreased or increased during the present year. This quota
system Mr. Mohr insists
as in the past is applied to all countries and has been
carefully studied by the Danish treaty experts who find that
there is no semblance of discrimination or danger of forcing
treaty abrogation.
He stated that a more detailed expose of his Government’s
attitude and practice in the circumstances would be sent to the
Legation and that the other Governments interested had already
signified their acceptance of the present temporary quota
system.
He assured me that any initiative on the part of officers of the
Exchange Control Board to prejudice importers against American
goods in favor of British was not authorized, and that he would
make specific inquiries in a further effort to stop same.
In reply to inquiry he said he believed that the present import
restrictions would continue until January 1, but would then
cease as by that time importers would realize the diminishing
purchasing power of the public and the expected reduction in
demand would by that time be patent. He also believed that no
special agreement or arrangement will be reached with England,
but that a few schedules of the Danish tariff would be
increased, effective January 1, as a further protection against
the importation of luxuries.
During the entire interview Mr. Mohr was earnest and gracious and apparently
very sincere in his desire to make his points clear.
