860m.01B11/—
The Lithuanian Executive Committee to the Secretary of State
Sir: We have the honor to respectfully communicate that the provisional government of the Republic of Lithuania has constituted the Lithuanian Executive Committee its diplomatic agents in the United States. This Committee therefore undertakes to perform, on behalf of the Lithuanian government, all acts which are usually performed by the embassies or legations of foreign governments, in so far as that can be consistently done, pending the recognition of Lithuania by the United States.
In particular, the Committee is exercising supervision over travel to and from Lithuania, visaing travel documents for Lithuanians which are issued with the approval of the State Department, and also visaing all passports of whatever country, for entry into Lithuania. In this matter and in others, the cooperation of Lithuanian political organizations, having branches numbering several hundred in various parts of the United States, is made use of. We are thus able to scrutinize carefully the credentials of Lithuanians who apply [Page 641] here for travel documents or visas of passports. Passports not visaed by this office will not be good for entry into Lithuania in accordance with the ruling of the Lithuanian government.
The Committee is also empowered to certify legal documents for use in Lithuania, upon compliance with the usual procedure of legations or embassies in the way of previous certification by the State Department.
It has seemed proper to make the above notification to the representatives of foreign governments in Washington and to the State Department and to request and offer mutual aid and information, having due respect to the requirements of the United States government.
Respectfully,
By