611.60131/109: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Estonia (Leonard)
1. Despatch No. 163 of January 20 from Riga. You may indicate orally to appropriate officials of the Foreign Office that this Government is prepared to accept a written proposal of the Estonian Government to withdraw its notices of intention to modify or terminate the treaty. From the standpoint of this Government it is desirable (1) that the note from the Foreign Office state specifically that the Government of Estonia withdraws its notices of April 13, 1938 and May 14, 19388 insofar as they operate to terminate or modify on May 22, 1939 any provisions of the treaty of friendship, commerce and consular rights between the United States of America and the Republic of Estonia, signed December 23, 1925, and (2) that the Government of Estonia intends that the treaty shall remain in full force without modification of any kind.
If your conversation discloses that a note along the foregoing lines will in fact be sent to the Legation, you should take the opportunity to point out orally that in offering to accept a proposal from the Estonian Government to withdraw its notices to terminate and modify the Treaty, your Government is hopeful that the Estonian Government will take whatever measures may be necessary to assure to the commerce of the United States the unconditional most favored nation treatment provided for in the treaty.
[Page 471]The Estonian note of withdrawal should not be acknowledged until after it has been approved by the Department.
- For these notices, see telegram No. 9, April 13, 1938, and telegram No. 13, May 14, 1938, from the Chargé in Estonia, Foreign Relations, 1938, vol. ii, pp. 250 and 252, respectively.↩