660F.116/142: Telegram
The Minister in Czechoslovakia (Wright) to the Secretary of State
[Received January 23—1 p.m.]
6. Your number 3, January 16, 6 p.m. Notwithstanding disinclination of this Government to reconsider its attitude that in principle the provisions of the agreement shall retroactively apply I take satisfaction in reporting that following my representations all cotton shipments through Clason Burger, Bremen, shipped pursuant to contracts signed prior to December 1 last, which are the only shipments of this nature which have been brought to my attention, have been exempted and the firm has been so informed.
With regard to partial mark payment this Government is open minded and willing to discuss method of calculation from actual facts of transactions rather than by arbitrary percentage but believes it preferable that initiative in this regard come from German sources. Czech-German Committee will shortly meet and copies of this correspondence have been sent to Embassy at Berlin.
As primary objective of Czech Government is to encourage direct trade contracts and to confine activities of agents to transshipment and forwarding only which will not include negotiation or signing of contracts or invoices, I suggest that American exporters give serious consideration to the attitude of this Government regarding shipments to Czechoslovakia. Detailed report by mail.36
- Despatch No. 70, January 23, not printed.↩