711.60M4/10

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Lithuania ( Kuykendall )

No. 10

Sir: The receipt is acknowledged of the Legation’s despatch No. 40 (diplomatic) of August 28, 1936, stating that the Lithuanian State Council approves in principle the draft of a treaty of naturalization and military service submitted by this government but asks whether an agreement could not be reached without including the first two paragraphs of Article I.

The Department would prefer that agreement be reached on the basis of the present draft. It is noted that the State Council will give further consideration to Article I, but if it develops that agreement can not be reached on the basis of the present draft, you are authorized to submit the enclosed revised draft16 to the Foreign Office.

It will be observed that there does not appear in the new draft the stipulation that naturalization in one country is deemed to have terminated the original nationality. In eliminating this provision the Department does not intend to abandon its traditional position with respect to termination of the original nationality by naturalization in another country. You are requested to make this observation to the Foreign Office upon presenting the enclosed draft.

There have been a number of changes of language from the previous draft to assure greater uniformity and precision of expression.

Very truly yours,

For the Secretary of State:
R. Walton Moore
  1. Not printed. The revised draft was transmitted by the Chargé to the Lithuanian Minister for Foreign Affairs on April 15, 1937. The text is practically identical with that of the final treaty.