File No. 417.00/254 The Minister in Nicaragua (Jefferson) to the Secretary of State [Telegram-Extract] MANAGUA, May 6, 1918, 11 a. m. In accordance with instructions contained in Department's April 3, 4 p. m., I have informed Nicaraguan Government and High Commission to proceed with the payments. JEFFERSON File No 417.00/253 The Secretary of State to the Minister in Nicaragua (Jefferson) No. 215 WASHINGTON, July 12, 1918. SIR: The Department has received a letter dated April 2, 1918, from Mr. Lindberg, regarding the work of the Public Credit Commission of Nicaragua, in which he states that the commission relies upon the support of the Nicaraguan Government in scaling claims of natives, and upon the support of the Department of State in scaling claims of Americans and foreigners. As indicated by the Department's telegram to the Legation of April 3, 4 p. m., the Department reserves for later consideration cases of claims rejected by the commission, and of awards rejected by claimants, as well as any other matters arising out of the fact that the Mixed Claims Commission and the Public Credit Commission are regarded as purely local tribunals of Nicaragua. No assurance can therefore be given as to what the attitude of the Department will be toward claimants who are dissatisfied with the action of the Public Credit Commission. You may request the Nicaraguan Government to inform Mr. Lindberg of the above, I am [etc.] For the Secretary of State: ALVEY A. ADEE BOUNDARY DISPUTE WITH HONDURAS Refusal of Nicaragua to Accept the Arbitral Award Rendered by the King of Spain in 1906; Good Offices of the United States; Commissioners Sent to Washington 91114-3061 (See pages 11-34) NORWAY AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND NORWAY EXTENDING THE DURATION OF THE ARBITRATION CONVENTION OF APRIL 4, 1908 1 File No. 711.5712/16 The Norwegian Minister (Bryn) to the Secretary of State WASHINGTON, March 7, 1918. MR. SECRETARY OF STATE: By the agreement signed between Norway and the United States of America on June 16, 1913, the arbitration convention concluded between them on April 4, 1908, was extended for a period of five years from June 24, 1913.2 As the date on which said period will expire is now approaching, I have been instructed to inform your excellency that the Norwegian Government is desirous of extending the said convention for a further period of five years, from June 24, 1918, and venture to hope that this wish is reciprocated by the United States Government. For this event I have been authorized to negotiate with your excellency about the conclusion of the necessary agreement, and I have the honor to enclose a draft for such agreement. Please accept [etc.] H. BRYN File No. 711.5712/17 The Secretary of State to the Norwegian Minister (Bryn) No. 409 WASHINGTON, March 23, 1918. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of the 7th instant by which you inform me that you have been authorized to negotiate with me an agreement extending for a further period of five years, the arbitration convention between the United States and Norway signed on April 4, 1908, and extended until June 24, 1913, by an agreement between the two countries signed June 16, 1913. The draft of the proposed agreement has been found entirely acceptable to this Government, and I shall be happy to sign the protocol with you at 11.30 o'clock Tuesday morning, March 26, if it shall be convenient for you to call at the Department at that time for the purpose. Accept [etc.] Foreign Relations, 1908, p. 663. 'Ibid., 1914, p. 970. 'Not printed. 850 ROBERT LANSING Treaty Series No. 632 Agreement signed at Washington, March 30, 1918: ratification advised by the Senate, April 30, 1918; ratified by the President, July 1, 1918; ratified by Norway, May 14, 1918; ratifications exchanged at Washington, July 1, 1918; proclaimed July 12, 1918 BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA A PROCLAMATION WHEREAS an Agreement between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Norway extending for another period of five years the duration of the Arbitration Convention of April 4, 1908, was concluded and signed by their respective Plenipotentiaries at Washington, on the thirtieth day of March, one thousand nine hundred and eighteen, the original of which Agreement, being in the English and Norwegian languages, is word for word as follows: The Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Kingdom of Norway, being desirous of continuing for another period of five years the Arbitration Convention concluded between them on April 4, 1908, which by the terms of the Agreement signed between them on June 16, 1913, will expire on June 24, 1918, have authorized the undersigned, to wit: Robert Lansing, Secretary of State of the United States, and H. H. Bryn, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Norway to the United States, to conclude the following Agreement: ARTICLE I The Convention of Arbitration of April 4, 1908, between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the Kingdom of Norway, which by the terms of the Agreement signed between them on June 16, 1913, will terminate on June 24, 1918, is hereby extended and continued in force for a further period of five years from June 24, 1918. ARTICLE II The present Agreement shall be ratified by the President of the United States of America, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof; and by His Majesty the King of Norway, and it shall become effective upon the date of the exchange of ratifications, which shall take place at Washington as soon as possible. Done in duplicate in the English and Norwegian languages, at Washington this 30th day of March one thousand nine hundred and eighteen. ROBERT LANSING [SEAL And whereas, the said Agreement has been duly ratified on both parts, and the ratifications of the two governments were exchanged in the City of Washington, on the first day of July, one thousand nine hundred and eighteen. Now, therefore, be it known that I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, have caused the said Agreement to be made public, to the end that the same and every article and clause thereof may be observed and fulfilled with good faith by the United States and the citizens thereof. In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done in the District of Columbia this twelfth day of July in the year of our Lord one thousand nine [SEAL] hundred and eighteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and fortythird. By the President: FRANK L. POLK Acting Secretary of State WOODROW WILSON ABROGATION OF THE TREATY OF JULY 4, 1827, CERTAIN PROVISIONS OF WHICH CONFLICTED WITH THE SEAMEN'S ACT OF MARCH 4, 1915 (See pages 5-9) PANAMA CLAIMS OF AMERICAN CITIZENS AGAINST PANAMA ON ACCOUNT OF INJURIES RECEIVED DURING THE RIOT AT COCOA GROVE, PANAMA, FEBRUARY 14, 1915 1 File No. 419.11C64/34 The Minister in Panama (Price) to the Secretary of State No. 1932 PANAMA, April 29, 1918. SIR: With reference to the Department's Instruction No. 276 of August 21, 1916, relative to the riots which took place in Panama City on the night of the 13th-14th of February, 1915, and to the Department's implied desire to receive further information in regard to the steps which the Panaman Government is taking in the matter, I have the honor to state that in reply to a note dated October 21, 1916, in which I requested the Minister for Foreign Affairs to give me full information as to future developments in the matter, I received a note dated October 26, 1916, in which the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs informed me that the investigations of the riot had been ended, were in the hands of the Superior Court, and that the decisions would soon be rendered, whereupon, he assured me, the texts thereof would be transmitted to me. Not having received any further information on the subject, on March 13, 1918, I addressed another note to the Secretary of Foreign Affairs in which I referred to his previous note, the contents of which I set forth in the preceding paragraph, and urged him to acquaint me with the nature of the decision rendered. I am now in receipt of his reply, transmitting voluminous enclosures which would appear to be the written testimony of the witnesses and other persons connected with the matter of the riots, including statements and opinions made by court officials. A careful examination of the translations of these documents clearly shows that the Panaman authorities are of the opinion that it is impossible to definitely ascertain the causes of the riot. This is due to the conflicting nature and vagueness of the accounts of the manner in which the riot started. Consequently it would appear to be impossible to fix definitely the blame for the disturbances on either the Panamans or the American soldiers. Nevertheless, an examination of the documents leads to the following conclusions: (a) That the disturbance is said to have been started by an American soldier who forcibly attempted to take a horn from a Panaman boy who was blowing it; (b) That a Panaman policeman attempted to stop the disturbance; 'Continued from Foreign Relations, 1915, p. 1186. |