TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT NO. 2793-PS
OFFICE OF U S CHIEF OF COUNSEL
Confidential Protoc** about the economical
and financial collaboration between the
German Reich and the State of Slovakia.
The signatory plenipotentiaries of the German Reich Cabinets
and of the Slovak government agreed today that the German Reic* and
the Slovak State will most closely cooperate in the economical and
financial fields on the basis of following directives.
ARTICLE I.
The collaboration will include particularly:
(1). Increase and control of the Slovak agricultural production
under consideration of the market outlets in Germany, i.e..
increased pig-raising and milk production.
(2). Development of the Slovak wood industry and forestry
by creating long-term industrial plans under consideration of market
outlets in Germany.
(3). Investigation, development and utilization of the Slovak
natural resources. In this respect the basic principle is, that insofar
as they are not needed to meet Slovakia's own requirements, they
should be placed in first line at Germany's disposal. The entire
soil research (Bodenforschung) will be placed under the Reichagency
for soil-research. (Reichsstelle fuer Bodenforschung.) The government
of the Slovak State will soon start an investigation to determine
whether the present owners of concessions and privileges have fulfilled
the industrial obligations prescribed by law and it will cancel
concessions and privileges in cases where these duties have been
neglected.
(4). Development and control of industrial production considering
the German and Slovak life interests and market relationships
and collaboration in the field of export of industrial and other
products.
(5). Development of the communication and transportation
system in Slovakia.
ARTICLE II.
Slovakia will make its own currency and will create a Slovak
National bank as a central mint.
Germany will support Slovakia in the creation of a Slovak
National Bank and in the development and execution of the foreign
exchange policy.
The German Reich Bank will participate in an appropriate
manner in the erection of the Slovak National Bank and will send an
adviser to the Board of Directors of this bank who will cooperate in
every important decision. The Slovak Cabinet will avail itself of
this adviser also when drawing up and executing its State budget and
will not raise loans without his approval.
The German tender which was brought to Slovakia during the
entry of March 1938 will be exchanged at a rate of
1 Czech Crown = 10 Reich pfennigs,
It is planned that the National Bank in Prague will be induced
to immediately transfer tender to Pressburg amounting to 350 million
Czech crowns in order to alleviate the currency shortage in Slovakia.
ARTICLE III.
The two governments will soon start negotiations to come to
an agreement about the regulation of commercial and financial exchange.
These agreements will be made on the basis that Germany will take
Slovak agricultural, forestry and other goods including natural resources
and will deliver instead finished products, unfinished products
and investment goods.
Slovakia will make economic negotiations with other states
only after the agreement with Germany had been reached and will keep
Germany permanently informed about the se negotiations.
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TRANSLATION OF DOCUMENT 2793-PS.
OFFICE OF H. S. CHIEF OF COUNSEL
No customs-union is planned between the German Reich
and Slovakia. However, until further notice, free trade
will be permitted for the transition period between Slovakia
on the one hand and the protectorate Bohemia and
Moravia and the Sudeten German territories on the other
hand.
ARTICLE IV.
This protocol will come into force on the day of its
signing. Both parties will consider the protocol as strictly
confidential and will make its contents public only after
mutual consent.
Berlin, 23 March 1939.
For the German Reich Cabinett:
Signed v. Ribbentrop
For the Slovak government
Signed Vojtech Tuka
Signed Dr. F. Dureansky
17 November 1945
CERTIFICATE OF TRANSLATION
OF DOCUMENT NO. 2793-PS
I, Willard E. Skidmore, it (JG) USNR 391590, hereby certify
that I am thoroughly conversant with the English and
German languages; and that the above is a true and correct
translation of Document No. 2793-PS
Willard B. Skidmore
Lt (JG), USNR
0-391590
341