645.116/71b
The Secretary of State to the Consul General at Calcutta (Wilson)47
Sir: The Department desires to ascertain the attitude of the Government of India toward granting free entry to importations of equipment and supplies consigned to American missionary organizations, [Page 203] including educational, medical, and philanthropic institutions maintained by them, as well as to importations of clothing, foodstuffs, and professional equipment by the American personnel thereof.
These missionary organizations provide educational and medical facilities which would not otherwise be available to the communities they serve unless their entire cost were borne by governmental agencies. As is well known, these organizations derive their support from voluntary contributions of materials and funds made by interested persons in the United States. In view of these circumstances it is considered that the use of such funds for the payment of customs duties in countries for the benefit of whose peoples they are contributed is not in consonance with the purpose for which these funds are donated and results in their diversion from the philanthropic enterprises they are intended to foster. By making substantial contributions to the education and medical care of the people of India, the American people are rendering material assistance to the Government of India in meeting these social problems. It does not appear to be inopportune, therefore, to inquire as to the extent to which that Government may be willing to cooperate in facilitating the conduct of this philanthropic work through customs-duty exemptions.
It is desired that you discuss the matter with the appropriate authorities in order to ascertain their reactions, stating that you are acting upon specific instructions to do so and emphasizing the fact that the Department attaches considerable importance to the question involved. A report of your discussions, together with your comments, should be submitted promptly to the Department.
For your information and assistance there follows a brief discussion of the nature and extent of free-entry privileges accorded by certain countries to missionary organizations engaged in philanthropic enterprises:
Egypt—The Government of Egypt grants free entry to supplies, except building materials, imported by religious, educational, and charitable institutions, and to importations by clergymen and missionaries of clothing and provisions not exceeding a total value per person of twenty Egyptian Pounds a year.
Iran—Under a procedure involving theoretical refunds from “Government Credit”, the Iranian Government in actual practice exempts from payment of customs duties official supplies imported by American and British hospitals and schools within rather liberal valuation limits.
Liberia—The Government of Liberia permits duty-free importations not exceeding a total annual value per person of $150 of goods for the personal use and consumption of “all persons regularly employed as Missionaries, Professors, Tutors and Instructors engaged by and giving full time service in Missionary and Philanthropic Institutions within the Republic and who are actually engaged in educational and/or medical work”.
[Page 204]Palestine—The Government of Palestine provides in general, with certain minor exceptions, for free entry for supplies and equipment imported for places of worship, schools and institutions maintained by religious communities, hospitals, asylums, and dispensaries operated by charitable societies, as well as for importations of clothing, furniture, and devotional objects by “persons leading the religious life”.
Syria—Upon the basis of an exchange of notes between the Governments of the United States and of France,48 the Government of Syria grants unlimited free entry to “articles intended to be used in conducting religious worship” and restricted free entry within fixed annual valuation limits to importations of a wide variety of enumerated supplies imported “by religious communities and evangelical missions for the support of their members”, as well as by schools, colleges, hospitals, dispensaries, and orphanages. Duty-free importations by educational, medical, and similar institutions are based upon annual valuation allotments per pupil or inmate, colleges and universities receiving substantially larger allotments than primary and secondary schools.
A similar instruction has been sent to Rangoon.
Very truly yours,