CONVENTION FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF THE ABUSE OF OPIUM AND OTHER DRUGS

Estonia

By a note dated February 7, 1931, the Minister of the Netherlands in Washington informed the Secretary of State that on January 21, 1931, Estonia signed the protocol concerning the coming into force of the opium convention signed at The Hague, January 23, 1912. The convention therefore became operative in Estonia on that date.

Liberia

SLAVERY

An invitation has been received from the Acting Secretary-General of the League of Nations, under date of January 30, 1931, requesting this Government to participate through the appointment of a representative upon an international committee which will meet at Geneva for the purpose of examining various questions relating to recommended Liberian social and administrative reforms. The reply dated February 3, 1931, accepting the invitation and appointing the American representative to the committee is quoted in part as follows:

The American Government is hopeful that the work of this committee, having to do with subjects regarding which the cooperation of the American Government has already been indicated through its adherence to international slavery, sanitary, and other conventions, may contribute in a practical way toward the execution of highly desirable reforms destined to improve the condition of the Liberian people, for whose welfare the people of the United States have always maintained a sympathetic interest.

The American Government accordingly takes pleasure in accepting the above invitation, and is appointing as its representative upon the committee, Mr. Samuel Reber, jr., an American diplomatic officer who is at present Chargé d'Affaires ad interim at Monrovia. Mr. Reber has been instructed to leave Monrovia this week and may be expected shortly in Geneva.

It is understood that representatives from the British Empire, Germany, Italy, Liberia, Poland, Spain, Venezuela, and the United States will compose the committee.

ECONOMIC

AGRICULTURE

PROTECTION OF BIRDS

An invitation has been received by the Secretary of State from the president of the International Institute of Agriculture, Rome, Italy, requesting this Government to participate in an international diplomatic conference, to be held under the auspices of the Institute in the month of October, 1931, with a view to modifying and supplementing, wherever that is considered necessary, the convention of Paris of 1902, for the protection of birds.

The president specifically requests this Government (a) to indicate the place where this conference might be held with the best results and whether the Government wishes to offer its hospitality for the holding of the conference, and (b) to be good enough to send to the Institute all the documents which may be in its possession on the protection of birds, and especially of birds useful to agriculture.

As the convention of Paris is in force only among European states and relates exclusively to European birds, and as the United States did not sign or adhere to the convention, the decision as to the participation of this Government has been deferred until plans for the proposed conference have been more fully developed.

AVIATION

COMMERCIAL AVIATION CONVENTION

On February 20, 1931, the Senate gave its advice and consent to the ratification by the President of the commercial aviation convention adopted at the Sixth International Conference of American States, held in Habana, Cuba, from January 16 to February 20, 1928.1

The convention will come into force for each signatory state 40' days from the date of deposit of ratification, and for the adhering

'For text, see Congressional Record, Feb. 20, 1931. The convention will shortly be published in the Treaty Series.

states, 40 days after notice to the Cuban Government, according to the terms of articles 34 and 35. Four states have, to date, deposited their ratifications: Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, and Panama.

CONVENTION RELATING TO THE REGULATION OF AERIAL NAVIGATION Greece

The official gazette of Greece for January 20, 1931, contains the decree ratifying the protocol of June 15, 1929, relative to the amendment of certain articles of the convention for the regulation of aerial navigation, dated October 13, 1919.

Panama

By a despatch from the American Embassy at Paris dated December 18, 1930, the Secretary of State was informed that the Embassy had received a note from the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs stating that, under date of November 10, 1930, the Republic of Panama notified the International Commission for Air Navigation of its denunciation of the convention for the regulation of aerial navigation, signed at Paris, October 13, 1919. In accordance with article 43 of that convention, the denunciation will become effective on November 11, 1931.

ERRATUM

In Bulletin No. 15, December, 1930, in the table on page 14, the date of signature for New Zealand should read “June 15, 1929.”

DRAFT OF TEXT TO BE INSERTED IN THE CONVENTION OF OCTOBER 13, 1919, RELATING TO THE REGULATION OF AERIAL NAVIGATION

At the seventeenth session of the International Commission for Air Navigation, held in Paris on the 10th and 11th of December, 1929, a draft of the text to be inserted in the air convention of October 13, 1919, was adopted. The stipulations of the draft are to ensure and facilitate communications of importance, at times of emergency, for the working of the organization of the League of Nations, and are as follows:

ARTICLE 1. Aircraft engaged permanently or temporarily in the transport of the agents or mail of the League of Nations, or in the transport of delegations to the League or their mail, shall be deemed to be aircraft ensuring air communications of importance for the working of the League of Nations.

See Bulletin No. 15, December, 1930, p. 14.

2 See Bulletin of March, 1929, p. 4.

ART. 2. The aircraft referred to in the last preceding article shall enjoy all the rights accorded to state aircraft of the contracting states other than military, customs, or police aircraft, forming the subject of the last paragraph of article 30 of the present convention.

ART. 3. In case the League of Nations, for the purpose of ensuring air communications of importance for its working, should use aircraft owned by it, such aircraft should be entered up at the Secretariat of the League on the conditions laid down in the present convention in respect of the registration of aircraft of the contracting states.

In case the League of Nations should use for this purpose aircraft registered in a state and placed temporarily at its service, such aircraft should also be entered up at the Secretariat of the League, the technical particulars provided for being replaced by a reference to the official register in which each aircraft has been entered.

Copies of entries and cancellations of entries shall be communicated without delay to all the contracting states and to the I.C.A.N. ART. 4. Unless otherwise expressly provided by the present convention, the said aircraft, bearing the marks provided for in annex A to indicate that they are employed in the service of the League of Nations, shall be subject to all the prescriptions of the present convention.

Provided that, in respect of aircraft which may be used by the League of Nations and which are not registered in any state, the certificates of airworthiness, certificates, and licences for the operating crew and all other prescribed documents may be issued or rendered valid by a given state in accordance with its legislation. On the other hand, in respect of aircraft registered in a noncontracting state, these documents should be issued or rendered valid in accordance with the legislation of such state.

ART. 5. In order to ensure communications of importance for the working of the League of Nations at times of emergency, the high contracting parties undertake to accord the greatest possible liberty of passage to the aircraft referred to in article 1 above, without subjecting them to any exceptional and temporary restrictions which may be placed on air navigation, it being, however, well understood that the normal routes and the rules to be followed, as well as any derogations from such routes or rules shall have formed the subject of previous agreements between the SecretaryGeneral of the League of Nations and the high contracting parties each in so far as it is concerned.

For arriving at such previous agreements the high contracting parties undertake to grant, whether as regards control or the routes to be followed, the greatest facilities possible.

The Secretary-General, on his side, will endeavour to give to the states flown over, in due time and by such means as may be expedient, advice of the identification marks of the said aircraft which are to fly over their territories, the intended route, and the persons on board. The crew and the persons carried should be provided with documents certifying their quality and their mission.

The above-mentioned agreements shall also provide for the conditions under which the states flown over shall render assistance to aircraft which may be in difficulties and to the persons on board in

order to ensure the continuation of the air transport for the accomplishment of their mission.

ART. 6. By way of derogation from the provisions of article 5, any state may refuse to allow flight over its territory by aircraft registered in one of the states with which it is in a state of emergency; but in such case it shall take all measures to ensure with a maximum of rapidity, the continuation of the air transport by the methods provided for in the previous agreements referred to in article 5.

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COMMERCE

COMMERCIAL CONVENTION AND PROTOCOL OF MARCH 24, 1930, AND PROTOCOL REGARDING THE PROGRAM OF FUTURE NEGOTIATIONS

Greece

According to a communication dated January 26, 1931, from the Acting Legal Adviser of the Secretariat of the League of Nations, the instrument of ratification of Greece of the commercial convention and protocol, signed at Geneva, March 24, 1930, and of the protocol regarding the program of future negotiations was deposited on January 16, 1931.

Italy

The instrument of ratification of the Government of Italy of the commercial convention and protocol, signed at Geneva, March 24, 1930, was deposited with the Secretariat of the League of Nations on November 26, 1930, according to circular letter C.L. 342.1930.II.* On the occasion of the deposit, the Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs, referring to article XV of the convention, made the following declaration:"

At the time of ratifying the commercial convention signed at Geneva on March 24, 1930, the Government of His Majesty the King of Italy declares that it does not assume, by its acceptance of this convention, any new obligation in regard to the whole of its colonies, protectorates, or territories under suzerainty.

Nevertheless, the Italian Government considers that the obligations arising out of this convention must be fully applied also to the stipulations concerning colonies, protectorates, etc., expressly covered by the bilateral treaties referred to in article 1 of the convention. Consequently, if anyone of the contracting states which has concluded bilateral treaties containing stipulations with regard to

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According to the information of the Department of State, the following countries have ratified the commercial convention: Belgium, Denmark, Finland, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Luxemburg, Nor way, Sweden, and Switzerland. See Bulletin No. 14, November, 1930, p. 12. See Bulletin No. 14, November, 1930, p. 12.

6 Official translation of the League of Nations.