711.632/37: Telegram
The Secretary of State to the Minister in Austria (Washburn)
Washington, April 12,
1928—6 p.m.
24. Your despatch No. 1554, October 4 last. Article Eleven.
- 1.
- This Government intends to discontinue for application in the United States the provision that certificates of identification shall be issued by an authority designated for the purpose such as was contained in Article Eleven of the original American draft. It does not desire to establish official regulatory machinery to issue certificates of identification.
- 2.
- Chambers of Commerce in the United States are purely commercial bodies without official relation to the Federal Government. No Department of Federal Government has authority to designate them or other commercial organizations to issue certificates of identification to commercial travelers. Chambers of Commerce issue letters of identification to their members. Not all business firms are members of Chambers of Commerce.
- 3.
- With a view to accepting Austrian proposal for application to Austrian commercial travelers coming to the United States and also to meeting conditions in the United States, including provision for firms not members of Chambers of Commerce, but members of other commercial organizations, this Government proposes to substitute for all of the second paragraph of Article Eleven following the words “commercial traveler” the following: “a certificate issued by any of the following in the country of his departure shall be accepted as satisfactory: (a) the authority designated for the purpose; (b) a chamber of commerce; (c) any trade or commercial association recognized for the purpose by the diplomatic representative of the High Contracting Party requiring such certificate.”
- 4.
- Department understands that no questions are now before it in respect of which you have asked instructions.
Kellogg