Office of the Historian

6H.60i31/30: Telegram

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Estonia (Carlson)

Washington, April 11, 1936—3 p.m.

3. In view of the impossibility of concluding and bringing into force a treaty, amending the Treaty of Friendship, Commerce and Consular Eights between the United States and Estonia,2 on or before May 22, 1936, the date upon which that Treaty will terminate as a result of the notice given by Estonia on May 21, 1935,3 the Department desires that you approach the Estonian Government with a view to having that Government withdraw on some date prior to May 21, 1936, its notice of intention to modify the Treaty as notified in its note of May 21, 1935, and give on May 22, 1936, a new notice of intention to modify the Treaty, thereby extending the life of the Treaty for one year. It is believed that this period will give the two Governments ample time in which to negotiate the modifications desired in the existing Treaty. You will recall that the Estonian Government has advised you informally that it would be willing to give consideration to a proposal involving the prolonging of the existing Treaty for a period of one year. Inform Department promptly by cable of result of your discussion with Foreign Office.

You may inform the Foreign Office that the proposals presented by the Estonian Government in its note of December 20, 1935,4 have been under study in the Department, which hopes to be able to make a reply in the very near future.

Precedents for withdrawal of denunciation of a treaty may be found in correspondence relating to denunciation of Consular Convention of 1878 between United States and Italy in Foreign Relations 1917, pages 21, 24 and 25, and in that relating to denunciation of Commercial [Page 67] Treaty of 1837 between United States and Greece in Foreign Relations, 1920, II, pages 711 to 715, a copy of which has recently been forwarded to you.

Hull
  1. Signed on December 23, 1925, ibid., 1925, vol. ii, p. 70.↩
  2. See telegram No. 5, May 22, 1935, from the Chargé in Estonia, ibid., 1935, vol. ii, p. 188.↩
  3. Not printed; but see despatch No. 527 (Diplomatic), December 20, 1935, from the Chargé in Estonia, ibid., p. 198.↩