File No. 5727/96. No. 424.] The Acting Secretary of State to the French Chargé. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, August 7, 1907. SIR Referring further to the ambassador's note of the 8th of June last, I have the honor to inform you of the receipt of a letter from the Acting Secretary of the Treasury stating that as it appears from the ambassador's note above mentioned and from statements made on the 2d ultimo by his excellency the minister of foreign affairs in the French Senate that the French chambers of commerce bear an official relation to the Government of the Republic, the Treasury Department perceives no objection to the acceptance of certificates of value issued by such chambers of commerce, as in the case of German chambers of commerce under Point F of the diplomatic note annexed to the recent commercial agreement between the United States and Germany. Accept, etc., ROBERT BACON. File No. 5727/49. GREAT BRITAIN. No. 120.] The British Ambassador to the Secretary of State. BRITISH EMBASSY, Washington, May 25, 1907. SIR: You will doubtless remember that in conversation with me. on April 11, you informed me that the administrative concessions made in the commercial agreement between Germany and the United States would be applicable to the imports into America of all countries. I informed His Majesty's Government of this and they, while fully relying on the statement you made, would be glad, now that the agreement has been published, to have a note from you embodying that assurance, which could be quoted in reply to inquiries in Parliament on the subject. They similarly understand that the provisions in paragraph F of your note to the German ambassador of April 22 apply to chambers of commerce in the United Kingdom as well as those of Germany. The terms of the amendment to section 7 of the act of June 10. of 1890, inclosed in your note of May 10 to the German ambassador. which the President will recommend Congress to enact, are so framed as to apply to imports from all countries, and His Majesty's Government assume that it is the intention of the administration to propose them in that general form so that they should apply to imports from the United Kingdom. I have, etc., JAMES BRYCE. File No. 5727/60B. The Secretary of State to the British Ambassador. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, EXCELLENCY: With reference to previous correspondence, I have the honor to say that the administrative provisions set forth in the commercial agreement between Germany and the United States are intended to be applicable in principle to all countries. The provisions which relate to the accrediting of special agents, their cooperation with chambers of commerce, and the acceptance of certificates of chambers of commerce as to value as competent evidence in terms relate specifically to Germany. The Government of the United States does not, however, wish to make them a basis of discrimination against any other country, and is quite ready to make them applicable to Great Britain so far as the conditions in that country permit if the Government of Great Britain so desires. I have, etc., ELIHU ROOT. File No. 5727/61. No. 129.] The British Chargé to the Secretary of State. BRITISH EMBASSY, Washington, June 11, 1907. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 8th instant, respecting the application to other countries of the administrative changes in United States customs-houses, which derive from the new German-American commercial agreement. While expressing my best thanks for this communication, I beg to inform you that I immediately acquainted His Majesty's Government with its contents. I have, etc., ESME HOWARD. File No. 5727/60. No. 80.] The Secretary of State to the British Ambassador. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, June 12, 1907. EXCELLENCY: Supplementing my note of the 8th instant. I have the honor to inclose a copy of a letter received on yesterday from the Secretary of the Treasury touching on the question of the acceptance of certificates issued by foreign chambers of commerce. I have, etc., [Inclosure.] ELIHU ROOT. The Secretary of the Treasury to the Secretary of State. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Washington, June 8, 1907. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 8th instant, further in regard to the accrediting of special and confidential agents of this department to the German Government, with instructions to cooperate with German chambers of commerce, and the acceptance by appraising officers as competent evidence of certificates issued by such chambers of commerce, in which you state that you propose to inform other countries that these concessions will be applicable to them in so far as the conditions of the respective countries will permit. In so far as the question relates to the accrediting of special agents, I see no objection to making it generally applicable, but with respect to the acceptance of certificates issued by chambers of commerce it must be remembered that the Board of General Appraisers is a judicial, or at least a quasi-judicial body, being vested with the authority, under the ordinary rules of evidence, to determine the competency or incompetency of testimony adduced before them. I think it proper that certificates of value issued by chambers of commerce having semigovernmental status should be regarded by the board as competent evidence, but I do not think it right for the department to establish an arbitrary regulation compelling the board to accept as competent testimony the certificates of value of chambers of commerce which do not bear, as do the German chambers of commerce, an official relation to the Government. A different departmental attitude on this question would undoubtedly result in embarrassment should the board reject as incompetent the certificates of unofficial chambers of commerce. GEO. B. CORTELYOU. Respectfully, File No. 5727/69. The British Chargé to the Acting Secretary of State. No. 141.] BRITISH EMBASSY, Intervale, N. H., June 27, 1907. SIR: With reference to previous correspondence, I have the honor to state that I have received a telegram from His Majesty's secretary of state for foreign affairs directing me to ascertain whether it is to be understood that paragraph F of the note annexed to the commercial agreement recently concluded between Germany and the United States, relative to certificates of value issued by German chambers of commerce, has reference exclusively to sections 10 and 11 of the customs administrative act; and if not, what other sections of the act are affected by the paragraph in question. I have the honor to ask you to be so good as to enable me to reply to Sir Edward Grey's inquiries at your early convenience. I have, etc.. R. C. LINDSAY. File No. 5727/74. The British Ambassador to the Secretary of State. No. 153.] BRITISH EMBASSY, Intervale, N. H., July 3, 1997. SIR: Referring to your letter of June 8 upon the subject of the agreement between your Government and that of Germany, proclaimed on June 1, and the recognition which your Government proposes to give to certificates of value issued by chambers of commerce, I am instructed by His Majesty's principal secretary of state for foreign affairs to inform you that in his opinion the United States Government need not hestitate to accept certificates of value issued by British chambers of commerce in the same way and to the same extent as those of German chambers. British chambers are already in most European countries recognized as competent bodies to issue certificates of British commercial travelers, in pursuance of recent treaties between the United Kingdom and several foreign states. They are also recognized in most European countries as competent to issue certificates of origin. The board of trade of the United Kingdom has recently instituted an advisory committee on commercial intelligence, and the members of this committee are mostly appointed on the nomination of British chambers. These chambers are, moreover, always consulted by the board of trade through the advisory committee upon questions relating to foreign tariffs. I may add that the board of trade, in order further to assure the United States Government on this subject, have now arranged that all applications from British chambers for privilege of granting certificates of value should be received and considered by the aforesaid advisory committee and that no chambers will be declared competent to issue such certificates except those which satisfy the committee respecting their arrangements. His Majesty's Government will from time to time. communicate the names of those chambers which are authorized to issue certificates of value. The following chambers have already been recognized as competent for this purpose; that is, those of London, Liverpool, Manchester, Birmingham, Cardiff, Bradford, Belfast, Glasgow, and Dundee. I am further directed to express the hope of His Majesty's Government that these assurances as to the authority extended to British chambers will be deemed satisfactory by the United States Government, inasmuch as they confer upon these chambers, although, like those of the United States, they have been in their inception unofficial bodies, an official recognition fully adequate for the present purpose, and as they make it certain that the certificates will be granted after due inquiry and with a due sense of official responsibility. His Majesty's Government will be glad if you can favor me, as soon as possible, with a reply to this communication. I have, etc., File No. 5727/69. JAMES BRYCE. The Acting Secretary of State to the British Ambassador. No. 105.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, July 5, 1907. EXCELLENCY: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of Mr. Lindsay's note, No. 141, of the 27th ultimo, in which, with reference to previous correspondence, he states that he has received a telegram from His Majesty's secretary of state for foreign affairs directing him to ascertain whether it is to be understood that paragraph F of the note annexed to the commercial agreement recently concluded between Germany and the United States, relative to certificates of value issued by German chambers of commerce, has reference exclusively to sections 10 and 11 of the customs administrative act; and if not, what other sections of the act are affected by the paragraph in question. In reply I have the honor to say that paragraph F of the diplomatic note attached to our new commercial agreement with Germany, relative to certificates of value issued by German chambers of commerce, is not limited by sections 10 and 11 of the customs administrative act, but has general application under the law to the ascertainment of market value; and that there is hardly one section in that act in which the question of value is not involved directly or indirectly. ALVEY A. ADEE. I have, etc., 85111-FR 1907- -32 File No. 5727/75. The Acting Secretary of State to the British Chargé. [Telegram.] DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Referring to your personal note of July 3, have just received from Treasury Department a note stating that in view of the facts set forth, no objection is perceived to the extension of the privilege requested. Copy of note in due course by mail. File No. 5727/74. BACON. The Acting Secretary of State to the British Ambassador. No. 108.] DEPARTMENT of State, Washington, July 10, 1907. EXCELLENCY: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of your note of the 3d instant, relative to the recognition by this Government of British chambers of commerce as competent bodies to issue certificates of value on the same terms as are accorded to German chambers of commerce under paragraph F of the diplomatic note annexed to the new commercial agreement between the United States and Ger many. In reply. I have the honor to inform you that the request of your Government was duly communicated to the Secretary of the Treasury. and his reply is inclosed herewith, dated the 9th instant. You will perceive that the Secretary of the Treasury states that in view of the facts set forth in Your Excellency's note there is no objection to the extension of the privilege requested. Accept, etc., ROBERT BACON. [Inclosure.] The Secretary of the Treasury to the Secretary of State. TREASURY Department, Washington, July 9, 1907. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 8th instant, transmitting a copy of a note from the British ambassador relative to the recognition by this Government of British chambers of commerce as competent bodies to issue certificates of value on the same terms as are accorded German chambers of commerce under paragraph F of the diplomatic note annexed to the commercial agreement between the United States and Germany. It is represented that the board of trade of the United Kingdom has recently instituted an advisory committee on commercial intelligence, and members of this committee are mostly appointed on the nomination of the British chambers. These chambers are, moreover, always consulted by the board of trade through the advisory committee upon questions relating to foreign tariffs, and no cham bers will be declared competent to issue such certificates except those which satisfy the committee respecting their arrangements. It is further represented that the British Government will from time to time communicate the names of those chambers which are authorized to issue certificates of value, and that through this supervision an official recognition is extended to British chambers of commerce as will make certain the fact that certificates of value will be issued only after due inquiry and with a due sense of official responsibility. In view of the facts set forth. I have the honor to state that no objection is perceived to the extension of the privilege requested. GEO. B. COBTELYOU. Respectfully, |