611.60F31/6–1645
The Czechoslovak Minister for Foreign Affairs (Masaryk) to the Assistant Secretary of State (Clayton)
Dear Mr. Clayton: I hope you will permit me to draw your attention to a matter which is of deep concern to our country.
The House of Representatives recently passed an Amendment to the Reciprocal Trade Agreement Act Revival Bill which would officially abrogate any reciprocal trade treaties which the United States Government negotiated in the past, and since suspended. It appears that Czechoslovakia would be the only country that would come under this Amendment.
[Page 541]As you will remember, in March 1939 Czechoslovakia was invaded by the Nazis in direct violation of the Munich agreement. At that time the Government of the United States very properly suspended the reciprocal trade agreement then in effect between the United States and Czechoslovakia. It was the only such suspension even though several other countries were equally taken over temporarily by the Nazi invaders.
Now Czechoslovakia, thanks to the victory of the United Nations Armies, has been liberated and our Government has been restored to her people. Yet, under the Amendment referred to above the Reciprocal Trade Treaty would be abrogated so that trade relations between the United States and our country would for a time be on a non-treaty basis. This would be most regrettable, especially in view of the fact that we are very anxious to restore our economy and to renew as speedily as it can be done the advantageous trade relations with the people of the United States. I know that the final fate of our Treaty of 1938 is still in the hands of the Congress and for that reason I venture to appeal to you to see if a way could be found whereby the suspension could be removed and if that is impossible to seek methods whereby normal treaty relations between our countries could be restored.
I need hardly add how much our Government has always appreciated the understanding extended to our country by the Government of the United States during the last trying years, and I hope that a satisfactory solution of this so vital matter for us could be found.
I availed myself of the opportunity of the presence of Mr. Stettinius, the Secretary of State, at the San Francisco Conference91 and passed on to him a copy of this letter.
Sincerely yours,
Foreign Minister of Czechoslovakia Chairman of the Czechoslovak Delegation at UNCIO
- The United Nations Conference on International Organization, held at San Francisco, April 25–June 26, 1945.↩