611.51244/45

The Secretary of State to the Chargé in France ( Wilson )

No. 1500

Sir: The receipt is acknowledged of the Embassy’s despatch No. 2595 of March 9, 1936, transmitting a proposal from the French Government for the conclusion of an agreement for the cooperation between the Customs services of France and the United States.

This proposal has received the careful consideration of the interested Departments of this Government and these are agreeable to the conclusion of such an arrangement. The draft convention submitted with the despatch under reference is agreed to in substance, but it is suggested that, in order to extend the scope of the agreement, provisions similar to Articles 1 and 5 of the Convention between the United States and Canada for the suppression of smuggling, proclaimed on July 17, 1925,81 be incorporated in the agreement with France.

You are, therefore, requested to transmit the above information to the French Foreign Office, together with the enclosed counter draft80 of the proposed arrangement and a copy of Treaty Series No. 718. You may add that the Department is agreeable to the proposal to make the agreement effective by an exchange of notes.

Should you find it advisable to discuss the counter proposal with the French authorities, there is enclosed an explanation82 of why certain changes and additions to the French draft were made, which you may use in your discretion.

Very truly yours,

For the Secretary of State:
R. Walton Moore
  1. Signed at Washington, June 6, 1924, Foreign Relations, 1924, vol. i, p. 189 (Treaty Series No. 718); for Executive Order No. 4306 of September 19, 1925, Approving Regulations To Give Effect to the Convention of June 6, 1924, see ibid., 1925, vol. i, p. 573.
  2. Not printed.
  3. Not attached to file copy of this document.