The present arrangement shall, unless sooner terminated by mutual agreement, continue in force until thirty days after notice of its termination shall have been given by either party; but should either party be prevented by future action of its legislature from carrying out the terms of this arrangement, the obligations thereof shall thereupon lapse.

I shall be glad to have your confirmation of the accord thus reached.

Accept [etc.]

611.60 d 31/42: Telegram

L. ÅSTRÖM

The Secretary of State to the Minister in Finland (Pearson)

WASHINGTON, November 30, 1925—6 p. m. 28. The Finnish Minister here informed the Department on November 23 that a treaty between Finland and Spain, providing for certain conventional duties lower than the lowest rates the Government is authorized to grant without legislative approval, will go into effect on November 27.10 The commercial agreement with the United States, signed May 2, 1925, not having been ratified by the Diet, the Minister states that his Government is not empowered to extend conventional duties to American goods as contemplated by the most-favored-nation clause.

Please keep Department fully informed and, unless you have reasons for not doing so, you should urge the Finnish Government to bring about ratification at the earliest practicable date and make it retroactive to November 27. Should some days intervene an arrangement might be made for admitting goods under bond or remitting duties paid in excess of the new conventional rates as soon as the commercial agreement of May 2 is fully ratified. The best means for protecting American interests would seem to depend upon the exact situation and you are accordingly authorized to use your best judgment in the matter.

KELLOGG

611.60 d 31/43: Telegram

The Minister in Finland (Pearson) to the Secretary of State

HELSINGFORS, December 2, 1925—2 p. m.

[Received December 2-10: 22 a. m.] 46. Reference Department's telegram 28, November 30th, 4 [6] p. m. Received the following assurance in writing from Foreign Office, November 25th:

10 Treaty of July 16, 1925; see League of Nations, Treaty Series, vol. XLVII, p. 271.

"From the 27th of November onwards, the importation from the United States of America is accorded most-favored-nation treatment or else if any country has been entitled to duties below the base duties the American importation will be subjected to these base duties. After the final acceptance of the United States agreements the amount of the difference between the base duties and the agreement duties will be restored to the American importers."

Foreign Office assured me agreement will be ratified by Diet within two weeks.

PEARSON

611.60 d 31/49

The Finnish Minister (Åström) to the Secretary of State

WASHINGTON, December 24, 1925.

SIR: In the agreement concerning commerce, effected by exchange of notes on May 2, 1925, by the Government of Finland and the Government of the United States, the paragraph concerning its going into force reads as follows:

"The present arrangement, in so far as it concerns import and export duties, shall become operative on the 15th day after the day I shall have received your confirmation of this agreement; in respect of all other matters it shall become operative when the Government of Finland shall have notified the Government of the United States that the legislative measures necessary for the purpose have been completed in Finland."

I have the honor to inform Your Excellency that as the legislative measures necessary now have been completed, the agreement has been made effective in all its parts, in Finland. Accept [etc.]

L. ÅSTRÖM

AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND FINLAND RESPECTING TONNAGE DUES AND OTHER CHARGES, SIGNED DECEMBER 21, 1925

611.60 d 31/34b, c

The Secretary of State to the Finnish Minister (Åström) 11

WASHINGTON, April 30, 1925. The Secretary of State presents his compliments to the Minister of Finland and has the honor to transmit herewith for the consideration of the Government of Finland a draft which, if adopted for an exchange of notes between the two Governments, would lead to the

"Handed to the Finnish Minister by the Under Secretary of State, May 2, 1925.

126127-40—vol. II—12

establishment of national treatment for the vessels of the United States in the ports of Finland and for the vessels of Finland in the ports of the United States in respect to tonnage dues and other charges on vessels and imposts on the goods imported in them.

The Secretary of State is prepared to effect an exchange of notes with the Minister of Finland in the form of the enclosed draft upon being informed by the Minister that the draft is acceptable to the Government of Finland and that he will make a reply in like terms.

The proclamation to be issued by the President of the United States would make the undertaking agreed to in the exchange of notes effective on the part of the United States as of the date on which notification is received that it has been made effective by the Government of Finland.

[Enclosure]

Draft for an Exchange of Notes Between the American and Finnish Governments

SIR: I have the honor to make the following statement of my understanding of the agreement reached through recent conversations held at Washington on behalf of the Government of the United States and the Government of Finland with reference to the treatment which the United States shall accord to the vessels of Finland and their cargoes in the ports of the United States, and which Finland shall accord to vessels of the United States and their cargoes in the ports of Finland.

These conversations have disclosed a mutual understanding between the two Governments, as follows:

On and after (insert date thirty days after date of signature) Finland will impose no tonnage duties, light, harbor or port dues, or other charges on vessels of the United States in the ports of Finland which are not imposed on vessels of Finland and Finland will levy no higher or other duties or charges on goods imported into or exported from its ports in vessels of the United States than are levied on like goods imported or exported in vessels of Finland.

The United States will impose no discriminating duties of tonnage on vessels of Finland in the ports of the United States and no discriminating imposts on the goods imported into the United States in vessels of Finland. This undertaking on the part of the United States will be effected by a proclamation to be issued by the President of the United States on the receipt of notification by him from the Government of Finland that the undertaking on the part of Finland stated in the preceding paragraph has been brought into force.

The present arrangement, unless sooner terminated by mutual agreement, shall continue in force until thirty days after notice of its termination shall have been given by either party; or, should either party be prevented by future action of its legislature from carrying out the terms of this arrangement the obligations thereof shall thereupon lapse.

I shall be glad to have your confirmation of the accord thus reached. Accept, Sir, the renewed assurance of my high consideration.

611.60 d 31/52

Memorandum by Mr. Wallace M. McClure, of the Office of the Economic Adviser

[WASHINGTON,] December 17, 1925. The present draft, which is intended to be complete and ready for signature,12 differs in no essential respect from the draft approved by the Department and handed to the Finnish Minister on May 2, 1925. The Finnish Minister requested that the language of the note specifically set forth the fact that it does not apply to the Finnish requirements for the employment of pilots on vessels making use of its harbors; and also that it does not apply to the treatment accorded by Finland to Russian fishing vessels in Arctic waters.

Very probably the notes would not be interpreted as applying to either of these matters even in the absence of language especially excepting them. They appear to be of no interest to the United States and, accordingly, it would seem wise to accept them at the request of the Finnish Minister.

The matter of the employment of pilots is distinct from that of pilotage dues when pilots are employed. Where employment is required equality of dues to American vessels will be accorded. Exemption from the employment of pilots is, according to the statement of the Minister, confined to small vessels flying the flag of Finland or the flags of neighboring Baltic countries.

811.841/286a

W[ALLACE] MC[CLURE]

The Secretary of State to the Finnish Minister (Åström)

WASHINGTON, December 21, 1925. SIR: I have the honor to make the following statement of my understanding of the agreement reached through recent conversations held

"No draft attached to this memorandum; the draft referred to is apparently the one signed by the Secretary of State Dec. 21, 1925, infra.

at Washington on behalf of the Government of the United States and the Government of Finland with reference to the treatment respecting tonnage dues and other charges which the United States shall accord to the vessels of Finland and their cargoes in the ports of the United States, and which Finland shall accord to vessels of the United States and their cargoes in the ports of Finland.

These conversations have disclosed a mutual understanding between the two Governments, as follows:

On and after February 1, 1926, Finland will impose no tonnage duties, light, harbor or port dues, or other charges on vessels of the United States in the ports of Finland which are not imposed on vessels of Finland, and Finland will levy no higher or other duties or charges on goods imported into its ports in vessels of the United States than are levied on like goods imported in vessels of Finland. It is understood that, without altering the above stipulations insofar as the amount of pilotage dues is concerned, the duty of employing pilots by vessels of the United States shall be governed by the stipulations of the Finnish law in this respect about foreign vessels in general. It is also understood that the United States of America shall not, on the ground of the above stipulations, claim any privileges which Finland has conceded or will concede to Russian fishing or sealing vessels in the Arctic waters.

The United States will impose no discriminating duties of tonnage on vessels of Finland in the ports of the United States and no discriminating imposts on the goods imported into the United States in vessels of Finland. This undertaking on the part of the United States will be effected by a proclamation to be issued by the President of the United States on the receipt of notification by him from the Government of Finland that the undertaking on the part of Finland stated in the preceding paragraphs has been brought into force.

The present arrangement, unless sooner terminated by mutual agreement, shall continue in force until thirty days after notice of its termination shall have been given by either party; or, should either party be prevented by future action of its legislature from carrying out the terms of this arrangement the obligations thereof shall thereupon lapse.

I shall be glad to have your confirmation of the accord thus reached.

Accept [etc.]

FRANK B. KELLOGG