611B.00241/4

The Secretary of State to the Norwegian Minister (Bachke)

Sir: I have the honor to refer further to your notes of February 25 and April 11, 1932,1 concerning the customs status of Norwegian [Page 501] consular officers in colonies and possessions of the United States under the agreement recently effected between the Norwegian and American Governments providing for the extension of the free importation privilege on a reciprocal basis to the consular officers of each in the country of the other.

The Department is advised by the Treasury Department as follows with respect to consular officers stationed in colonies of the United States the customs administration of which comes under the jurisdiction of that Department:

“The Norwegian Minister may, therefore, be advised that Norwegian consuls who are Norwegian nationals and not engaged in any private occupation for gain in the United States or its possessions, together with their families and suites, if stationed in the territories of Alaska or Haiwaii, or in Porto Rico or the Virgin Islands, will be accorded the privilege of free entry for articles imported for their own use and not for sale, upon proper request for the privilege being received by the Treasury Department through the State Department.”

With respect to American Samoa and the Island of Guam, which come under the jurisdiction of the Navy Department, the Secretary of the Navy writes:

“I have the honor to inform you that there are no consular officials resident in Guam or American Samoa, which are the only dependencies of the United States under the administration of this Department.

“It would therefore appear that these possessions are not of interest in this connection.”

The Department has received a reply to its inquiry in this matter from the Secretary of War concerning the Philippine Islands, but the information given is not sufficiently definite. The Department is therefore again addressing the Secretary of War with a view to obtaining definite information concerning the customs status under the aforementioned agreement of Norwegian consular officers stationed in the Philippine Islands, and I shall have pleasure in advising you as soon as this information shall have been received.

Free entry of governmental supplies for Norwegian consular offices is accorded in all cases.

Accept [etc.]

For the Secretary of State:
James Grafton Rogers
  1. Latter not printed.