Page images
PDF
EPUB

NOTIFICATION OF RATIFICATION BY THE UNITED STATES

Under date of October 23, 1929, the Secretary General of the League of Nations has addressed the countries concerned as follows:

GENEVA, October 23, 1929.

I have the honour to inform you that the Minister of the United States of America accredited to the Swiss Federal Council deposited with the Secretariat of the League of Nations on September 30, 1929, the instrument of ratification by His Excellency the President of the United States of America, of the international convention for the abolition of import and export prohibitions and restrictions and protocol signed on November 8, 1927, at Geneva, and of the supplementary agreement to that convention and protocol signed at Geneva on July 11, 1928. This deposit was made in accordance with the provisions of Articles 15 and C, respectively, of the convention and agreement.

2

On this occasion, the Minister of the United States of America notified me that "in accordance with the Senate's resolution advising and consenting to ratification, the President ratified the convention subject to the declaration which I made in writing at the time of signing the convention and the protocol to the convention and on the understanding that the provision of Section VI of the protocol to the convention, excepting from the scope of the convention prohibitions or restrictions applying to prison-made goods, includes goods the product of forced or slave labour, however employed." This understanding is also embodied in the instrument of ratification.

In accordance with the resolution adopted by the Council on June 17, 1927, I have the honour to draw your attention to the above declaration, and particularly to the part relating to Section VI of the protocol, in order to afford your Government the opportunity of making it known whether it accepts that declaration.

If your Government is willing to accept, it is desirable that a reply should reach the Secretariat as soon as possible before December 5, 1929, so that the situation created by the interpretation given by the United States to the provisions of Section VI of the protocol may be made clear before a decision is taken on the entry into force of the convention.

This entry into force will be the subject discussed at the conference convoked at Paris for December 5 next, to which I have had the honour of inviting your Government by circular letter No. 273, dated October 8, 1929.

If, however, your Government cannot reply before December 5, formal instructions should be given to the delegates at the conference, so that the question may be definitely settled during the course of its discussions.

I shall communicate your reply to the Government of the United States of America, together with any communications made on this matter during the course of the conference by the Government delegates.

I beg to inform you that the Minister of the United States of America

at Berne notified me that the Senate of the United States further advised

2

1 See League of Nations publications, Document C. 14. M. 11. 1929. II.

[ocr errors]

and consented that the President of the United States of America might agree to bring the convention into force under the provisions of the last paragraph of Article 17 thereof in the event that the ratifications or accessions of eighteen states are not given, pursuant to the requirements of Article C of the supplementary agreement.

I have the honour [etc.]

AGREEMENTS RELATING TO EXPORTATION OF
HIDES, SKINS, AND BONES &

Yugoslavia. On September 30, 1929, in accordance with the provisions of Articles 4 and 8, of the agreements, respectively, the instruments of ratification of Yugoslavia of the international agreement and protocol relating to the exportation of hides and skins, and the international agreement and protocol relating to the exportation of bones (signed at Geneva July 11, 1928) were deposited with the Secretariat of the League of Nations.

The instrument of ratification of the bones agreement contains a declaration which, in translation, is as follows:

The obligation resulting from this Agreement shall be binding for the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes only as regards signatory States which do not render export impossible, either by formal prohibitions or by prohibitive duties (duties considered as prohibitive are duties imposing a tax of 5 francs Swiss or more per hundred kilogrammes).

UNITED STATES-TURKEY 4

On October 1, 1929, a treaty of commerce and navigation between the United States and Turkey was signed at Angora.

CUSTOMS

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE SIMPLIFICATION OF CUSTOMS FORMALITIES

Brazil. According to a despatch from the American Chargé d'Affaires ad interim at Rio de Janeiro, September 23, 1929, the international convention for the simplification of customs formalities and the protocol thereto, which were signed at Geneva on November 3, 1923, were proclaimed as effective in Brazil by Executive decree No. 18,850 of July 16, 1929.

2 See the bulletin for September 1929, p. 20. 4 See the bulletin for April 1929, p. 10.

According to the information of the Department of State, the following countries are now parties to the customs formalities con

[blocks in formation]

The United States was unofficially represented by experts in a consultative capacity at the conference which framed the customsformalities convention, but has not signed nor adhered thereto.

Convention in force: November 27, 1924.

Text: League of Nations Treaty Series, vol. 30, p. 371.

FINANCE

UNITED STATES-GERMANY

Conversations have been initiated with the German Government looking toward the conclusion, with the approval of Congress, of an agreement constituting a settlement of the terms of payment by Germany of its obligations to pay to the United States the awards, and interest thereon, entered and to be entered in favor of the United States Government and its nationals by the Mixed Claims Commission, United States and Germany, established pursuant to the agreement of August 10, 1922, and to reimburse the United States for the costs of its Army of Occupation. The United States has already received payments in part satisfaction of these two items, and the two Governments now desire to make arrangements for the complete and final discharge of the obligations.

SUPPRESSION OF COUNTERFEITING CURRENCY 5

Under date of October 19, 1929, the Secretary General of the League of Nations transmitted the following communications to the

states concern-ed:

In conformity with Recommendation IV adopted by the Conference for the Suppression of Counterfeiting Currency (Geneva, April 9 to 20, 1929) and 'See the bulletin for July 1929, p. 39.

with the decisions taken by the Council of the League on June 14 last, I have the honour to communicate to your Government the information which I have received to date in reply to my circular letter of July 27, 1929 (C. L. 147. 1929. II) concerning the establishment of Central Police Offices for organising investigations on the subject of counterfeiting, as contemplated in Article 12 of the convention adopted by the conference.

The information is contained in League Document C. F. M. 21.

INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY

Brazil. By a note dated September 6, 1929, the Legation of Brazil at Berne informed the Swiss Federal Council of the desire of the Government of Brazil to adhere, effective October 26, 1929, to the following conventions as revised at The Hague November 6, 1925:

Convention for the protection of industrial property, signed at
Paris March 20, 1883;

Arrangement regarding the suppression of false marks of origin
on merchandise, signed at Madrid April 14, 1891:

Convention governing the international registration of trademarks, signed at Madrid April 14, 1891.

Trinidad and Tobago. On September 1, 1929, the British Legation at Berne informed the Swiss Federal Council of its Government's desire to adhere, effective October 21, 1929, for the Colony of the Islands of Trinidad and Tobago, to the convention for the protection of industrial property and the arrangement regarding the suppression of false marks of origin on merchandise.

POSTAL

UNIVERSAL POSTAL CONVENTION

Under date of October 10, 1929, the Ambassador of Great Britain at Washington transmitted to the Secretary of State certified copies of the seven acts signed at London June 28, 1929, by delegates to the Universal Postal Congress, namely:

(1) Universal postal convention;

(2) Insured letter and box agreement;
(3) Parcel post agreement;

(4) Money order agreement;

(5) Agreement concerning the collection of accounts, etc., through the post:

(6) Agreement regulating transfers of postal cheque accounts; (7) Agreement governing subscription to newspapers and periodicals through the post.

'The United States signed only the principal convention and none of the six accompanying arrangements. See the bulletin for July 1929, p. 40.

Attention was directed to Articles 12 and 13 of the final protocol of the convention. Article 12 provides that countries whose delegates signed on June 28 last only a certain number of the acts of the Congress, may still accede to the others. Under the provisions of Article 13 notice of accession must be given to His Majesty's Government in the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland by July 1, 1930.

Kingdom of Yemen

By letters dated September 1, 1928, and May 13, 1929, the Government of the Kingdom of Yemen advised the Swiss Federal Council of its desire to adhere to the convention and arrangements of the Universal Postal Union, signed at Stockholm on August 28, 1924, as follows:

(1) Universal Postal Convention;

(2) Arrangement concerning insured letters and boxes;

(3) Arrangement concerning parcel post;

(4) Arrangement concerning money orders;

(5) Arrangement concerning collections;

(6) Arrangement concerning subscriptions to newspapers and periodicals.

The adherence of Yemen will be effective January 1, 1930.

UNITED STATES ITALY

On October 11, 1929, the Italian Ambassador signed, with the American Postmaster General, the agreement regulating the exchange of parcels post between the United States and Italy.

The agreement was approved and ratified by the President on October 18, 1929, but has not yet come into force.

RADIO

INTERNATIONAL RADIOTELEGRAPH CONVENTION

The following countries have deposited with the Department of State at Washington their instruments of ratification of the international radiotelegraph convention and general and supplementary regulations, signed at Washington, November 25, 1927:

[blocks in formation]

British India....

Bulgaria

Canada (with the exception of the supplementary regulations).

Czechoslovakia__

[blocks in formation]
« PreviousContinue »