660M.116/20
The Minister in Lithuania (Lane)2 to the Secretary of State
[Received March 23.]
Sir: Referring to my despatch No. 141 of February 18, 1937 from Kaunas,3 in the last paragraph of which I referred to my conversation on that date with the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Stasys Lozoraitis, I have the honor to state that one of the basic reasons for my call on the Minister was to discuss with him the report which had reached the Legation that the allotted number of American automobiles imported into Lithuania would not be increased by the Lithuanian Government despite the substantial reduction in the Lithuanian tariff oil automobiles.
I pointed out to Mr. Lozoraitis that in previous years the United States had been able to import into Lithuania between 30 and 50 per cent of the total number of automobiles marketed in Lithuania each year. This total, however, had been small.* Owing to the reduction in the Lithuanian automobile tariff, the Legation was informed that perhaps over 500 automobiles would be imported during the present year, many of which would be used for government purposes. I stated that we had been given to understand that the United States would receive a quota of only 30 automobiles out of the total number to be imported. I contended that this seemed to be entirely out of reason: Lithuania has a favorable trade balance of 2,300,000 lits with the United States; furthermore, many remittances to Lithuania from Lithuanians residing in the United States increase this balance. Not only from the point of view of equity, I argued, but also from that of comity, (considering the interest which Lithuania must have in a country where almost a million Lithuanians reside), the United States [Page 508] should have at least equal treatment with that accorded to other nations.
I expressed my understanding that Germany had made representations under cover of its trade agreement with Lithuania of 19364 to secure for German automobile manufacturers virtually the entire Lithuanian automobile market.
Emphasizing that I was speaking personally and not under instructions, I said that I was broaching this matter to the Minister for Foreign Affairs, so that he might make an investigation and take such steps as to avoid creating what would in effect be an unfair discrimination against American interests. I added that in my opinion many unpleasant situations might be avoided in diplomacy if the subject were discussed personally and informally, before the situation became acute. Then if the facts justified it, measures might be taken to obviate the necessity of making formal diplomatic representations.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs said that he would take up the matter immediately with the Minister of Finance and ascertain the facts and then discuss the matter with the Chargé d’Affaires, Mr. Kuykendall. I am sending a copy of this despatch to Mr. Kuykendall with the request that he supplement it with any further information which may come to his attention.
Respectfully yours,
- The Minister was accredited to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, with residence at Riga, until August 9, 1937. Mr. Owen J. C. Norem was appointed Minister to Lithuania, only, on August 23, 1937.↩
- Not printed.↩
- 1934—180; 1935—150; 1936—231. [Footnote in the original.]↩
- Signed August 5, 1936; Reichsgesetzblatt, Jahrgang 1936, Teil II, p. 248.↩