It is however agreed, in regard to Angola, that the Portuguese government will be at liberty, with a view to effect the gradual and complete transformation of distilleries into sugar factories, to take out of the proceeds of the said 100 francs duty a sum of 30 francs which would be allowed to the producers on condition that they shall, under the Portuguese government's supervision, carry out the said transformation.

If the Portuguese government should avail itself of this liberty, the number of distilleries in operation and the producing power of each should not be greater than the number and power ascertained on the 31st of October, 1906.

ART. 3. The provisions of this convention are established for a term of ten years.

At the expiration of that period, the import duty fixed by Article I shall be subject to revision on the basis of the results produced by the preceding rates. Each one of the contracting Powers will, however, be at liberty to move the revision of the duty at the expiration of the eighth year.

The Power availing itself of this liberty should give notice of its intention, six months before the said expiration, to the other Powers through the Belgian government, which would then undertake to call, the conference within the above stated term of six months.

ART. 4. It is agreed that the Powers that have signed the general act of Brussels or adhered thereto, and are not represented at this conference, retain the right of adhering to this convention.

ART. 5. This convention shall be ratified and the ratification shall be deposited at the ministry of foreign affairs at Brussels with as little delay as possible and in no case shall the term exceed one year.

A certified copy of the procès-verbal of deposit shall be addressed by the Belgian government to all the Powers concerned.

ART. 6. This convention shall go into effect in all the possessions of the contracting Powers within the zone defined by Article 90 of the general act of Brussels on the thirtieth day after that on which the procès-verbal of deposit contemplated in the foregoing article shall have been closed.

From that date the convention relative to regulations affecting spirits in Africa, signed at Brussels on the 8th of June, 1889, shall cease and determine.

In witness whereof the respective plenipotentiaries have signed this convention and affixed their seals thereto.

Done in a single copy at Brussels the 3d day of the month of November, 1906.

[Signatures]

CHAPTER XIV

TRADE IN WHITE WOMEN

There was signed at Paris on May 18, 1904, by the governments of Germany, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, France, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Sweden, Norway, and the Swiss Federal Council a formal agreement for the suppression of the white slave traffic. Adhesions were afterward given by Austria-Hungary, Brazil, and the United States, thus making such a proportion of the body of the nations of the world as to make the agreement worthy of standing as a chapter in world law. The introduction to the agreement set forth that the sovereigns of the countries which were represented in the Paris conference, "being desirous to assure to women. who have attained their majority and are subjected to deception or constraint, as well as minor women and girls, an efficacious protection against the criminal traffic known under the name of trade in white. women, have resolved to conclude an arrangement with a view to concert proper measures to attain this purpose, and have appointed as their plenipotentiaries [the names follow], who, having exchanged their full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following provisions: "

ART. 1. Each of the contracting governments agrees to establish or designate an authority who will be directed to centralize all information concerning the procuration of women or girls both in a view to their debauchery in a foreign country; that authority shall have the right to correspond directly with the similar service established in each of the other contracting states.

ART. 2. Each of the governments agrees to exercise a supervision for the purpose of finding out, particularly in the stations, harbors of embarkation, and on the journey, the conductors of women or girls intended for debauchery. Instructions shall be sent for that purpose to the officials or to any other qualified persons, in order to procure, within the limits of the laws, all information of a nature to discover a criminal traffic.

The arrival of persons appearing evidently to be the authors, the accomplices, or the victims of such a traffic will be notified, in each case, either to the authorities of the place of destination or to the interested diplomatic or consular agents, or to any other competent authorities.

ART. 3. The governments agree to receive, in each case, within the limits of the laws, the declarations of women and girls of foreign nationality who surrender themselves to prostitution, with a view to establish their identity and their civil status and to ascertain who has induced them to leave their country. The information received will be communicated to the authorities of the country of origin of the said women or girls, with a view to their eventual return.

The governments agree, within the limits of the laws and as far as possible, to confide, temporarily and with a view to their eventual return, the victims of criminal traffic, when they are without any resources, to some institutions of public or private charity or to private individuals furnishing the necessary guaranties.

The governments agree also, within the limits of the laws, to return to their country of origin those of those women or girls who ask their return or who may be claimed by persons having authority over them. Return will be made only after reaching an understanding as to their identity and nationality, as well as to the place and date of their arrival at the frontiers. Each of the contracting parties will facilitate the transit on his territory.

The correspondence relative to the return will be made, as far as possible, through the direct channel.

ART. 4. In case the woman or girl to be sent back cannot herself pay the expenses of her transportation, and she has neither husband, nor relations, nor guardian to pay for her the expenses occasioned by her return, they shall be borne by the country on the territory of which she resides, as far as the nearest frontier or port of embarkation in the direction of the country of origin, and by the country of origin for the remainder.

ART. 5. The provisions of the above Articles 3 and 4 shall not infringe upon the provisions of special conventions which may exist between the contracting governments.

ART. 6. The contracting governments agree, within the limits of the laws, to exercise, as far as possible, a supervision over the bureaus or agencies which occupy themselves with finding places for women or girls in foreign countries.

ART. 7. The nonsignatory states are admitted to adhere to the present arrangement. For this purpose, they shall notify their intention, through the diplomatic channel, to the French government, which shall inform all the contracting states.

ART. 8. The present arrangement shall take effect six months after the date of the exchange of ratifications.. In case one of the contracting parties shall denounce it, that denunciation shall take effect only as regards that party and then twelve months only from the date of the day of the said denunciation.

ART. 9. The present arrangement shall be ratified and the ratifications shall be exchanged at Paris, as soon as possible.

In faith whereof the respective plenipotentiaries have signed the present agreement, and thereunto affixed their seals.

Done at Paris, the 18th May, 1904, in single copy, which shall be deposited in the archives of the ministry of foreign affairs of the French republic, and of which one copy, certified correct, shall be sent to each contracting party.

[Signatures]

CHAPTER XV

INTERNATIONAL INSTITUTE OF AGRICULTURE

Following widespread discussion of the advantages of an international institute of agriculture, there was signed at Rome on June 7, 1905, a convention for the creation and maintenance of such an institute. The signing countries were the United States of America, Italy, Montenegro, Russia, Argentine Republic, Roumania, Servia, Belgium, Salvador, Portugal, the United Mexican States, Luxemburg, the Swiss Confederation, Persia, Japan, Ecuador, Bulgaria, Denmark, Spain, France, Sweden, the Netherlands, Greece, Uruguay, Germany, Cuba, Austria-Hungary, Norway, Egypt, Great Britain, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Nicaragua, Brazil, Costa Rica, Chile, Peru, China, Paraguay, and Turkey. San Marino gave adherence subsequently. The convention stands worthily as a chapter of world law, and is as follows:

ART. 1. There is hereby created a permanent international institute of agriculture, having its seat at Rome.

ART. 2. The international institute of agriculture is to be a government institution, in which each adhering Power shall be represented by delegates of its choice. The institute shall be composed of a general assembly and a permanent committee, the composition and duties of which are defined in the ensuing articles. ART. 3. The general assembly of the institute shall be composed of the representatives of the adhering governments. Each nation, whatever be the number of its delegates, shall be entitled to a number of votes in the assembly, which shall be determined according to the group to which it belongs and to which reference will be made in Article 10.

ART. 4. The general assembly shall elect for each session from among its members a president and two vice presidents.

The sessions shall take place on dates fixed by the last general assembly and according to a program proposed by the permanent committee and adopted by the adhering governments.

ART. 5. The general assembly shall exercise supreme control over the international institute of agriculture.

It shall approve the projects prepared by the permanent committee regarding the organization and internal workings of the institute. It shall fix the total amount of expenditures and audit and approve the accounts.

It shall submit to the approval of the adhering governments modifications of any nature involving an increase in expenditure or an enlargement of the functions of the institute. It shall set the date for holding the sessions. It shall prepare its regulations.

The presence at the general assemblies of delegates representing two thirds of the adhering nations shall be required in order to render the deliberations valid. ART. 6. The executive power of the institute is intrusted to the permanent committee, which, under the direction and control of the general assembly, shall carry out the decisions of the latter and prepare propositions to submit to it.

ART. 7. The permanent committee shall be composed of members designated by the respective governments. Each adhering nation shall be represented in the permanent committee by one member. However, the representation of one nation may be intrusted to a delegate of another adhering nation, provided that the actual number of members shall not be less than fifteen.

The conditions of voting in the permanent committee shall be the same as those indicated in Article 3 for the general assemblies.

ART. 8. The permanent committee shall elect from among its members for a period of three years a president and a vice president, who may be reëlected. It shall prepare its internal regulations, vote the budget of the institute within the limits of the funds placed at its disposal by the general assembly, and appoint and remove the officials and employees of its office.

The general secretary of the permanent committee shall act as secretary of the assembly.

ART. 9. The institute, confining its operations within an international sphere, shall

(a) Collect, study, and publish as promptly as possible statistical, technical, or economic information concerning farming, both vegetable and animal products, the commerce in agricultural products, and the prices prevailing in the various markets;

(b) Communicate to parties interested, also as promptly as possible, all the information just referred to;

(c) Indicate the wages paid for farm work;

(d) Make known the new diseases of vegetables which may appear in any part of the world, showing the territories infected, the progress of the disease, and, if possible, the remedies which are effective in combating them;

(e) Study questions concerning agricultural coöperation, insurance, and credit, in all their aspects; collect and publish information which might be useful in the various countries in the organization of works connected with agricultural coöperation, insurance, and credit;

(f) Submit to the approval of the governments, if there is occasion for it, measures for the protection of the common interests of farmers and for the improvement of their condition, after having utilized all the necessary sources of information, such as the wishes expressed by international or other agricultural congresses or congresses of sciences applied to agriculture, agricultural societies, academies, learned bodies, etc.