ECONOMIC COMMERCE CONVENTION ON THE EXECUTION OF FOREIGN ARBITRAL AWARDS 1 France The American Ambassador to France forwarded with a despatch dated March 9, 1931, a copy of the law authorizing the President of France to ratify the convention on the execution of foreign arbitral awards, which was opened for signature at Geneva, September 26, 1927. COMMERCIAL CONVENTION OF MARCH 24, 1930 2 The American Consul at Geneva reported by a telegram dated March 18, 1931, that the Conference for Concerted Economic Action, which was being held in Geneva, had ended on that day. The Conference was unable to reach an agreement for the disposition of the commercial convention of March 24, 1930. A protocol was, however, agreed to by the delegates of the states which had ratified the convention, embracing the following points: (1) that the ratification of the Netherlands of the commercial convention would be considered as having the same effect as if it had been deposited before November 1, 1930; (2) that note be taken of the statement by the German Delegation that the Reichstag had approved the commercial convention; and (3) that no agreement could be reached upon a date for putting the commercial convention into force, but that no opinion was expressed as to the possibility of putting it into force after April 1, 1931. The opinion was expressed that the failure to put the convention into force would probably not prejudice the negotiation of bilateral treaties for tariff reduction. It is possible that the question of the tariff truce will be discussed again by the Commission of Inquiry for European Union when it meets at Geneva in May, 1931. See Bulletin No. 17, February, 1931, p. 13. See ibid., p. 12, and Bulletin No. 14, November, 1930, p. 12. 11 FINANCIAL INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF COUNTERFEIT ING CURRENCY 3 The convention for the suppression of counterfeiting currency entered into force, according to the information of the Department of State, on February 22, 1931, among the following countries: Bulga ria, Estonia, Portugal, Rumania, Spain, and Yugoslavia. Denmark According to communiqué No. 4925 of February 20, 1931, from the Information Section of the League of Nations, the Government of Denmark has forwarded to the Secretariat the instrument of its ratification of the international convention for the suppression of counterfeiting currency, and the optional protocol, signed at Geneva April 20, 1929. The convention will come into force in respect of Denmark on the entry into force of the Danish penal code of April 15, 1930, which is expected to take place on or before January 1, 1933. INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY* The convention for the protection of industrial property, signed at The Hague on November 6, 1925, was proclaimed by the President on March 6, 1931, and will shortly be published as Treaty Series, No. 834. According to the information in the Department of State, the following countries are parties to the convention: Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Italy, Mexico, Morocco, the Netherlands, Portugal, Spain, Spanish Morocco, Syria and the Lebanon, Tunis, Turkey, Trinidad and Tobago, the United States, and Yugoslavia. 3 See Bulletin No. 17, February, 1931, p. 15. For text, see post, p. 50. ARRANGEMENT CONCERNING THE INTERNATIONAL REGISTRATION OF TRADE-MARKS-ARRANGEMENT CONCERNING THE SUPPRESSION OF FALSE INDICATIONS OF ORIGIN ON MERCHANDISE Portugal The American Minister to Portugal forwarded to the Department of State, under date of February 19, 1931, a copy of the Diario do Governo of February 14, 1931, Series I, No. 38, which contains Decree No. 19,352 of January 17, 1931, authorizing the Government of Portugal to adhere to the arrangement concerning the international registration of trade-marks, signed at Madrid April 14, 1891, revised at Brussels August 14, 1900, and at Washington June 2, 1911; and the arrangement concerning the suppression of false indications of origin on merchandise, signed at Madrid April 14, 1891, revised at Washington June 2, 1911, and at The Hague November 6, 1925.5 NAVIGATION INTERNATIONAL MARITIME LAW CONVENTIONS The Fifth International Conference on Maritime Law was held in Brussels in October 1922, at which 24 countries, including the United States, were represented by official delegates. At this conference the delegates agreed upon three draft conventions to be recommended to their Governments: 1. International convention for the unification of certain rules relating to the limitation of the liability of owners of seagoing vessels; 2. International convention for the unification of certain rules relating to maritime liens and mortgages; 3. International convention for the unification of certain rules relating to bills of lading." On August 25, 1924, the conventions were opened for signature at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belgium. On June 25, 1925, the convention relating to bills of lading was signed on behalf of the United States. B * See Bulletin No. 14, November, 1930, p. 14. The United States is not a party to these arrangements. For text, see Bulletin No. 17, February, 1931, p. 25. 51397-31-3 In 1926, the Sixth International Conference on Maritime Law was held in Brusssels. The Government of the United States was not represented. At this conference two conventions were signed on April 10: 1. International convention for the unification of certain rules relating to maritime liens and mortgages to take the place of the convention signed on August 25, 1924; 2. International convention for the unification of certain rules relating to the immunities of Government-owned vessels. On June 2, 1931, three of these conventions will enter into force: the convention relating to bills of lading; the convention relating to maritime liens and mortgages; and the convention relating to the limitation of the liability of owners of seagoing vessels. The following tables show the status of ratifications of the conventions. There is also given a table showing the status of the international convention relating to collisions at sea, signed at Brussels September 23, 1910,8 at the Third International Conference on Maritime Law. INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE UNIFICATION OF CERTAIN RULES RELATING TO THE LIMITATION OF THE LIABILITY OF OWNERS OF SEAGOING VESSELS INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE UNIFICATION OF CERTAIN RULES RELATING TO MARITIME LIENS AND MORTGAGES The Belgian Embassy at Washington, by a note dated July 8, 1927, reported that the signature of Italy was to be considered as final, but did not give the date. The Belgian Embassy at Washington, by a note dated July 16, 1927, reported that the signature of Sweden was to be considered as final, but did not give the date. INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE UNIFICATION OF CERTAIN RULES |