respectively, to the effect that the Governments of Australia, Portugal, and Canada have taken due note of the reservation made by the Government of the United States on the occasion of its accession to the international slavery convention signed at Geneva, September 25, 1926.2

TREATMENT OF FOREIGNERS

CONVENTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF DETERMINING THE STATUS OF ALIENS IN AMERICAN STATES

The President of the United States, on June 6, 1930, proclaimed the convention for the purpose of determining the status of aliens in American states, adopted at the Sixth International Conference of American States, February 20, 1928. The convention, to ratification of which the Senate of the United States gave its advice and consent April 16, 1930, with the exception of Articles 3 and 4 thereof, was ratified by the President on May 7, 1930, and the instrument of ratification was deposited with the Pan American Union on May 21, 1930.

The excepted Articles 3 and 4 refer to the military service of foreigners in case of war.

See Bulletin for June, 1929, p. 13.

ECONOMIC

AVIATION

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION RELATING TO THE REGULATION OF AERIAL NAVIGATION

By a communication dated May 20, 1930, the Secretary General of the International Commission for Air Navigation informed the Secretary of State of the signature of Siam, April 24, 1930, and of the ratification by the Irish Free State, April 9, 1930, of the protocol dated June 15, 1929, relative to amendments to the air convention signed at Paris, October 13, 1919.

COMMERCE

INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE ABOLITION OF IMPORT AND EXPORT PROHIBITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS

By a despatch dated June 24, 1930, the American Minister at Prague informed the Secretary of State that the international convention for the abolition of import and export prohibitions and restrictions was approved by the Senate and the House of Deputies of Czechoslovakia on June 23, 1930, and June 24, 1930, respectively, subject to the condition that Czechoslovakia would not be bound by the convention until it had been ratified by Poland. As Poland declined on June 18, 1930, to ratify the convention, only the six states, namely, the United States, Great Britain, Japan, the Netherlands, Norway, and Portugal, which have ratified the convention unconditionally, will be bound under the terms of the protocol of December 20, 1929, until June 30, 1931. They then, and in any subsequent June up to 1934, have the right to terminate their obligations.

The eleven other states which signed the protocol of December 20, 1929, namely, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Luxemburg, Rumania, Switzerland, and Yugoslavia, will be released from the obligation to give practical effect to the convention on the 1st of July, 1930-unless they decide to the

contrary since the ratifications of Poland and Czechoslovakia were not deposited by the 20th of June, 1930.1

Portugal. On April 26, 1930, the American Minister at Berne transmitted to the Secretary of State a copy of the reply which the Secretary General of the League of Nations had received from the Portuguese Government regarding the reservation made by the Government of the United States when ratifying the international convention for the abolition of import and export prohibitions and restrictions, signed at Geneva, November 8, 1927. The text of the reply is as follows:

GENEVA, April 7, 1930.

MR. SECRETARY GENERAL: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your circular No. 287 of October 23, 1929,3 concerning the declaration made by the Government of the United States of America, about manufactures in jails, being the work of labor subjected to forced labor or slavery, on the occasion of depositing the instrument of ratification of the international convention for the abolition of prohibitions on importation and exportation and the protocol signed at Geneva, November 8, 1927, and also the agreement additional to the said convention and protocol, signed at Geneva, July 11, 1928, pursuant to the provisions contained in Articles 15 and C, respectively, of the convention and agreement.

I am instructed by my Government to inform you that, without making objection in principle, it nevertheless deems the said declaration to be useless since there exist other international conventions bearing on the same subject and in which that particular matter is wholly settled.

I take this opportunity to renew to you [etc.]

A. M. FERRAZ DE ANDRADE Chief of the Portuguese Chancellery to the League of Nations. CONVENTION CONCERNING THE FORMATION OF AN INTERNATIONAL UNION FOR THE PUBLICATION OF CUSTOMS TARIFFS

Albania. By a note dated June 10, 1930, the Belgian Ambassador at Washington, Prince Albert de Ligne, advised the Secretary of State of the adherence of Albania to the convention concerning the formation of an international union for the publication of customs tariffs, signed at Brussels, July 5, 1890.

1

According to a telegram dated June 12, 1930, from the Secretary General of the League of Nations, all of the contracting parties of the international convention for the abolition of import and export prohibitions and restrictions agreed to the request of Czechoslovakia and Poland for the prolongation from May 31, 1930, to June 20, 1930, of the time limit for the deposit of ratifications. See Bulletin No. 8, May, 1930, p. 9.

Translation as made in the Department of State.

See Bulletin No. 1, October, 1929, p. 23.

CUSTOMS

On February 25, 1930, the Acting Secretary of State instructed the American Chargé d'Affaires ad interim at Berne to transmit informally the following communication to the Secretary General of the League of Nations in reply to the latter's note of October 12, 1929,* requesting information from this Government concerning certain aspects of the question of smuggling:

The Acting Secretary of State of the United States of America refers to the note of the Secretary General of the League of Nations, dated October 12, 1929, transmitting a copy of a report on the work of the twenty-ninth session of the Economic Committee (Doc. C.307.M.106.1929.II), and requesting a statement of the views of the American Government with regard to certain aspects of the question of smuggling, with special reference to four points enumerated in the letter.

In reply, the Acting Secretary of State quotes the following passage from a letter which has been received from the appropriate department of this Government:

Text of note:

GENEVA, October 12, 1929.

On September 26th, 1928, the Council of the League of Nations asked the Economic Committee, in pursuance of a resolution of the Assembly, "to examine the terms in which conventions or agreements might be drawn up for the prevention of smuggling in general and that of alcohol in particular."

In pursuance of this resolution the Economic Committee undertook the investigation requested. Its first results are given in the report on the work of the twenty-ninth session of the Economic Committee (Doc. C. 307. M. 106. 1929. II), a copy of which is enclosed.

In this report, which was approved by the Council on August 31st, 1929, the Economic Committee states that, as regards smuggling in general, it "considers that it should supplement its present information in order to be in a position to judge whether any international action appears advisable in regard to this question." It instructs "the Secretariat to collect all information bearing on this point."

To enable me to give effect to the Economic Committee's conclusions, I should be glad if you would endeavour to send me a statement of your Government's views on the question, with special reference to the points enumerated below. (a) Importance of smuggling, particularly from the economic and fiscal points of view. What are the chief commodities smuggled? What are the reasons for this smuggling?

(b) Are the measures taken by your Government individually to prevent or suppress this smuggling sufficient, and has your Government endeavoured to arrange for reciprocal assistance, particularly with the nearest countries or those bordering upon the same sea?

(c) Has your Government concluded bilateral or multilateral conventions? If so, what conventions? Please give the text or a summary of these conventions. Do they operate to the satisfaction of the Governments concerned?

(d) Would an international agreement involving certain obligations such as mutual assistance in regard to information, judicial assistance, the right to search vessels outside territorial waters, etc., be likely to be of any practical utility for the prevention of smuggling? The information requested should if possible reach the Secretariat before March 1st, 1930.

while smuggling, from the economic and fiscal point of view, is of importance to this Government, a general treaty on the subject would probably not be of great assistance to the United States at this time. Diamonds, jewelry and other merchandise of small volume and great value constitute the chief commodities smuggled which affect our industries and defraud the Government of revenues. The reason for this class of smuggling is found in the ease with which these commodities can be handled and the large profits derived from this traffic.

The smuggling of liquor, which, under the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States, is a contraband commodity, has become an important smuggling problem, a problem however having but little relationship to the economic and fiscal aspect of the general question of smuggling.

Since the adoption of prohibition bilateral treaties in regard to this question have been negotiated with fourteen countries. These so-called "liquor treaties" provide, briefly stated, for the search and seizure of suspected smuggling vessels on the high seas within one hour's sailing distance from the coast of the United States, and as a quid pro quo ships flying the flags of countries signatory to these conventions are allowed to bring liquor into United States ports under seal as ship's stores" or in transit.

66

It may be added that the United States has concluded conventions for the suppression of smuggling with Canada and Cuba. Copies of these two conventions, together with the regulations for their enforcement, as well as copies of the fourteen conventions for the prevention of smuggling of intoxicating liquor to which reference is made above, are enclosed as of possible interest."

FINANCE

CONVENTION FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF COUNTERFEITING CURRENCY

Bulgaria. According to communiqué No. 4412, May 23, 1930, of the Information Section of the League of Nations, the Bulgarian Government deposited with the Secretariat of the League on May 22, 1930, the instrument of its ratification of the international convention and protocol for the suppression of counterfeiting currency, signed at Geneva, April 20, 1929, and of the optional protocol of the same date.

RADIO

INTERNATIONAL RADIOTELEGRAPH CONVENTION

By a despatch dated May 9, 1930, the American Chargé d'Affaires ad interim in Liberia transmitted to the Secretary of State that Government's instrument of ratification of the international radiotelegraph convention, signed at Washington, November 25, 1927. The instrument of ratification, dated January 21, 1929, was deposited in the archives of the Department of State on June 5, 1930.

'Not printed.

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