1 the President of the Republic of Panamá; the President of the 2 Republic of Paraguay; Her Majesty the Queen of the Nether3 lands; the President of the Republic of Peru; His Imperial 4 Majesty the Shah of Persia; His Majesty the King of Portugal 5 and of the Algarves, &c.; His Majesty the King of Roumania; 6 His Majesty the Emperor of All the Russias; the President 7 of the Republic of Salvador; His Majesty the King of Servia; 8 His Majesty the King of Siam; His Majesty the King of Sweden; 9 the Swiss Federal Council; His Majesty the Emperor of the 10 Ottomans; the President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay; 11 the President of the United States of Venezuela: 12 Being desirous of avoiding between nations armed conflicts 13 of a pecuniary origin arising from contract debts which are 14 claimed from the Government of one country by the Govern15 ment of another country as due to its nationals, have resolved 16 to conclude a Convention to this effect, and have appointed 17 the following as their Plenipotentiaries: 18 19 [For names of Plenipotentiaries, see Final Act, supra.] Who, after depositing their full powers, found in good and due 20 form, have agreed upon the following provisions: 22 The Contracting Powers agree not to have recourse to armed 23 force for the recovery of contract debts claimed from the Govern24 ment of one country by the Government of another country 25 as being due to its nationals. 26 This undertaking is, however, not applicable when the 27 debtor State refuses or neglects to reply to an offer of arbitration, 28 or, after accepting the offer, prevents any "Compromis" from 29 being agreed on, or, after the arbitration, fails to submit to the 30 award. 31 32 ARTICLE II. It is further agreed that the arbitration mentioned in para33 graph 2 of the foregoing Article shall be subject to the procedure 34 laid down in Part IV, Chapter III, of The Hague Convention 35 for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes. The award 36 shall determine, except where otherwise agreed between the 37 parties, the validity of the claim, the amount of the debt, and 38 the time and mode of payment. 1 2 3 4 8 ARTICLE III. The present Convention shall be ratified as soon as possible. The first deposit of ratifications shall be recorded in a procès5 verbal signed by the Representatives of the Powers taking part 6 therein and by the Netherland Minister for Foreign Affairs. 7 The subsequent deposits of ratifications shall be made by means of a written notification addressed to the Netherland 9 Government and accompanied by the instrument of ratification. 10 A duly certified copy of the procès-verbal relative to the first 11 deposit of ratifications, of the notifications mentioned in the 12 preceding paragraph, as well as of the instruments of ratification, 13 shall be sent immediately by the Netherland Government, 14 through the diplomatic channel, to the Powers invited to the 15 Second Peace Conference, as well as to the other Powers which 16 have adhered to the Convention. In the cases contemplated 17 in the preceding paragraph, the said Government shall inform 18 them at the same time of the date on which it received the notification. 19 20 21 22 ARTICLE IV. Non-Signatory Powers may adhere to the present Convention. The Power which desires to adhere notifies its intention in 23 writing to the Netherland Government, forwarding to it the act 24 of adhesion, which shall be deposited in the archives of the said 25 Government. 26 The said Government shall forward immediately to all the 27 other Powers invited to the Second Peace Conference a duly cer28 tified copy of the notification, as well as of the act of adhesion, 29 mentioning the date on which it received the notification. 31 The present Convention shall come into force, in the case of 32 the Powers which were a party to the first deposit of ratifica33 tions, sixty days after the date of the procès-verbal of this 34 deposit, in the case of the Powers which ratify subsequently or 35 which adhere, sixty days after the notification of their ratifi36 cation or of their adhesion has been received by the Nether37 land Government. 1 2 ARTICLE VI. In the event of one of the Contracting Powers wishing to 3 denounce the present Convention, the denunciation shall be 4 notified in writing to the Netherland Government, which shall 5 immediately communicate a duly certified copy of the notifica6 tion to all the other Powers, informing them at the same time 7 of the date on which it was received. 8 The denunciation shall only have effect in regard to the noti9 fying Power, and one year after the notification has reached 10 the Netherland Government. 11 12 15 ARTICLE VII. A register kept by the Netherland Ministry for Foreign 13 Affairs shall give the date of the deposit of ratifications made 14 in virtue of Article III, paragraphs 3 and 4, as well as the date on which the notifications of adhesion (Article IV, paragraph 16 2) or of denunciation (Article VI, paragraph 1) were received. 17 Each Contracting Power is entitled to have access to this 18 register and to be supplied with duly certified extracts from it. 19 In faith whereof the Plenipotentiaries have appended their 20 signatures to the present Convention. 21 Done at The Hague, the 18th October, 1907, in a single copy, 22 which shall remain deposited in the archives of the Netherland 23 Government, and duly certified copies of which shall be sent 24 to the Contracting Powers through the diplomatic channel. RESOLUTION OF RATIFICATION OF A CONVENTION RESPECTING THE LIMITATION OF THE EMPLOYMENT OF FORCE FOR THE RECOVERY OF CONTRACT DEBTS, SIGNED AT THE HAGUE, 1907. Resolved (two-thirds of the Senators present concurring therein), that the Senate advise and consent to the ratification of a convention signed by the delegates of the United States to the Second International Peace Conference held at The Hague from June 15 to October 18, 1907, respecting the limitation of the employment of force for the recovery of contract debts. Resolved further, as a part of this act of ratification, that the United States approves this convention with the understanding that recourse to the permanent court for the settlement of the differences referred to in said convention can be had only by agreement thereto through general or special treaties of arbitration heretofore or hereafter concluded between the parties in dispute. 92 [Executive H, Sixtieth Congress, first session.-Confidential.] OPENING OF HOSTILITIES. A CONVENTION SIGNED BY THE DELEGATES OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE SECOND INTERNATIONAL PEACE CONFERENCE HELD AT THE HAGUE FROM JUNE 15 TO OCTOBER 18, 1907, RELATIVE TO THE OPENING OF HOSTILITIES. FEBRUARY 27, 1908.-Read; convention read the first time and referred to the Committee on Foreign Relations, and, together with the message and accompanying papers, ordered to be printed in confidence for the use of the Senate. MARCH 10, 1908.-Ratified. 1 His Majesty the German Emperor, King of Prussia; the Presi2 dent of the United States of America; the President of the Argen3 tine Republic; His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, King of 4 Bohemia, &c., and Apostolic King of Hungary; His Majesty the 5 King of the Belgians; the President of the Republic of Bolivia; 6 the President of the Republic of the United States of Brazil; His 7 Royal Highness the Prince of Bulgaria; the President of the 8 Republic of Chile; His Majesty the Emperor of China; the Presi9 dent of the Republic of Colombia; the Provisional Governor of 10 the Republic of Cuba; His Majesty the King of Denmark; the 11 President of the Dominican Republic; the President of the 12 Republic of Ecuador; His Majesty the King of Spain; the Presi13 dent of the French Republic; His Majesty the King of the United 14 Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Domin15 ions beyond the Seas, Emperor of India; His Majesty the King 16 of the Hellenes; the President of the Republic of Guatemala; 17 the President of the Republic of Haïti; His Majesty the King of 18 Italy; His Majesty the Emperor of Japan; His Royal Highness 19 the Grand Duke of Luxemburg, Duke of Nassau; the President 20 of the United States of Mexico; His Royal Highness the Prince 21 of Montenegro; the President of the Republic of Nicaragua; His 22 Majesty the King of Norway; the President of the Republic of 23 Panamä; the President of the Republic of Paraguay; Her |