including any 4 of the following: France, Germany, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey, and the United States. On December 31, 1931, the convention had been signed by the following 42 countries: Abyssinia, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Cuba, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Free City of Danzig, Egypt, France, Germany, Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Greece, Guatemala, Hejaz, Nejd, and Dependencies, India, Italy, Japan, Liberia, Luxembourg, Mexico, Monaco, the Netherlands, Panama, Paraguay, Persia, Poland, Portugal, San Marino, Siam, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay, the United States, and Venezuela. Free City of Danzig According to communiqué No. 5414, December 8, 1931, from the Information Section of the League of Nations, the Polish Government has signed on behalf of the Free City of Danzig the convention for limiting the manufacture and regulating the distribution of narcotic drugs, which was opened for signature at Geneva on July 13, 1931. Greece According to communiqué No. 5420, December 30, 1931, from the League of Nations, the Permanent Delegate of Greece to the League signed on behalf of his Government on December 30, 1931, the convention for limiting the manufacture and regulating the distribution of narcotic drugs, together with the protocol of signature, which was opened for signature at Geneva on July 13, 1931. CHANGES TO BE NOTED IN THE LIST OF HUMANITARIAN TREATIES OF THE UNITED STATES On page 49 of the First Supplement of the Bulletin of Treaty Information, July, 1929, there should be added to the list of treaties signed but not in force, the following: Great Britain: Extradition treaty Signed at London December 22, 1931. Greece: Extradition treaty Signed at Athens May 6, 1931. Palestine and Transjordan See Great Britain. ECONOMIC AGRICULTURE INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE CREDIT COMPANY 1 The following letter regarding the accession of nonmembers of the League of Nations to the convention for the establishment of an International Agricultural Mortgage Credit Company was sent under date of January 5, 1932, to the Commission of Enquiry for European Union by the Secretary-General of the League of Nations: The Secretary-General has the honour to inform the members of the Commission that the Council of the League, when it examined the report of the Organisation Committee of the Agricultural Mortgage Credit Company, on September 25, 1931, adopted a resolution, paragraph 4 of which reads as follows: The Council transmits to the Committee of Enquiry for European Union the Organization Committee's report with the request to examine the conditions under which the necessary procedure for the subsequent accession of Governments not members of the League might be put into operation." (See C. 65th Session P.V.4. (1) In its report (Document C.560.1931.II.A.) this Committee defines, in paragraph 2, the procedure which should, in its view, be followed for the admission of nonmember states: "At its meeting on May 20, the Council of the League of Nations requested us to consider, in conjunction with the Secretariat of the League of Nations, the procedure by which states not members of the League of Nations might be enabled to accede to the convention setting up the International Agricultural Mortgage Credit Company. "The convention lays down that only states members of the League of Nations may sign it or accede to it. The period during which the convention is open to signature by European member states terminates on September 30, 1931. European member states not having signed at this date and non-European member states may accede to the convention, subject to certain conditions, after September 30, 1936. "The foregoing provisions having been fully discussed in May, we shall refrain from reviewing here the various arguments adduced. We would simply point out that if it is desired to maintain the convention in its present form a state not at present a member of the League can only sign the convention or accede to it after becoming a member. "To enable a nonmember state to accede to the convention, an amendment of the latter would be necessary. 1See Bulletin No. 27, December, 1931, p. 7. "The convention provides a procedure for its own revision. Article 17(b) provides that it may be revised by a conference of contracting governments called by the Council of the League of Nations. Such revision requires the consent of all the contracting governments and that of an extraordinary general meeting of the International Company. It obviously cannot take place until the convention has come into force, and the International Company has begun to operate. "It would, of course, also be possible to consider the amendment. of the convention before it comes into force. It is much to be feared, however, that such an amendment would in several countries. involve delays in the procedure of ratification and would thus retard the entry into force of the convention. "Since despite the difficulties of the present time every effort must now be directed towards the creation of the new Institute at the earliest possible date, we cannot conceal from ourselves the grave drawbacks which might be involved by a proposal for the amendment of the convention before the latter has come into force. We therefore venture to draw the Council's attention to the procedure provided for in Article 17(b) of the convention, should an amendment of the latter be regarded as desirable." It is interesting to note that up to date the convention establishing the International Company has been signed by twenty-four members of the League of Nations. But it has not come into force. The question of its coming into force will be placed on the agenda of the next session of the Council. Switzerland According to communiqué No. 5422, January 5, 1932, from the Information Section of the League of Nations, the Swiss Government has sent to the Secretariat the Federal Council's instrument of ratification of the convention for the creation of an International Agricultural Mortgage Credit Company, which was opened for signature at Geneva May 21, 1931. Three states have ratified the convention, according to information furnished by the League of Nations; 2 namely, Greece, Latvia, and Switzerland. AVIATION ARRANGEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA FOR RECIPROCAL RECOGNITION OF CERTIFICATES OF AIRWORTHINESS FOR IMPORTED AIRCRAFT By an exchange of notes dated October 12, 1931, and December 1. 1931, the United States and the Union of South Africa entered into a reciprocal arrangement relating to the aeronautical trade between the two countries. The arrangement, which became effective December 1, 1931, provides for the acceptance by the competent authorities of the one country of certificates of airworthiness for air2 See Bulletin No. 27, December, 1931, p. 7. craft imported from the other country as merchandise. The text of the arrangement is as follows: 1. The present arrangement applies to civil aircraft constructed in continental United States of America, exclusive of Alaska, and exported to the Union of South Africa; and to civil aircraft constructed in the Union of South Africa and exported to continental United States of America, exclusive of Alaska. 2. The same validity shall be conferred on certificates of airworthiness issued by the competent authorities of the Government of the United States in respect of aircraft subsequently registered in the Union of South Africa as if they had been issued under the regula tions in force on the subject in the Union of South Africa provided that in each case a certificate of airworthiness for export has also been issued by the United States authorities in respect of the individual aircraft, and provided that certificates of airworthiness issued by the competent authorities of the Union of South Africa in respect of aircraft subsequently registered in the United States of America are similarly given the same validity as if they had been issued under the regulations in force on the subject in the United States. 3. The above arrangement will extend to civil aircraft of all categories, including those used for public transport and those used for private purposes. 4. The present arrangement may be terminated by either Government on sixty days' notice given to the other Government. In the event, however, that either Government should be prevented by future action of its legislature from giving full effect to the provisions of this arrangement it shall automatically lapse. Provisions for the acceptance by the one country of certificates of airworthiness for aircraft imported from the other country as merchandise were included in the air navigation arrangement between the United States and Canada, entered into in 1929, and the air navigation arrangement between the United States and Italy which became effective on October 31, 1931. 8 The negotiation of arrangements similar to the one just concluded between the United States and the Union of South Africa has been proposed by the Government of the United States to the Governments of Australia, Belgium, Germany, Great Britain, the Irish Free State, New Zealand, and Spain. INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY CONVENTION FOR THE PROTECTION OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY Aegean Islands, Eritrea, and Libya By a note dated January 12, 1932, the Swiss Minister at Washington informed the Secretary of State that the Italian Government 3 See Bulletin No. 25, October, 1931, p. 13. 4 See Bulletin No. 26, November, 1931, p. 9. gave notice to the Swiss Federal Council on December 3, 1931, of the adherence of the Royal Government for the Italian colonies of Libya and Eritrea and the Italian possession of the Aegean Islands, to the convention of March 20, 1883, revised at The Hague on November 6, 1925, for the protection of industrial property. ARRANGEMENT CONCERNING THE INTERNATIONAL REGISTRATION OF TRADE-MARKS Aegean Islands, Eritrea, and Libya The above-mentioned note also informed the Secretary of State that the Swiss Federal Council was notified by the Italian Government on December 3, 1931, of the adherence of that Government for the Aegean Islands, Eritrea, and Libya, to the arrangement concerning the international registration of trade-marks, signed at Madrid April 14, 1891. LABOR CONVENTION CONCERNING FORCED OR COMPULSORY LABOR Sweden According to a circular letter dated January 7, 1932, from the League of Nations, the ratification by Sweden of the convention concerning forced or compulsory labor, adopted by the International Labor Conference at its fourteenth session (Geneva, June 10-28, 1930), was registered with the Secretariat on December 22, 1931. Portugal NAVIGATION INTERNATIONAL MARITIME LAW CONVENTIONS 5 By a note dated January 18, 1932, the Belgian Ambassador at Washington informed the Secretary of State that the Portuguese Minister at Brussels transmitted to the Belgian Government by a letter dated December 24, 1931, the instruments of adherence of Portugal to the international convention for the unification of certain rules relating to bills of lading, signed at Brussels August 25, 1924, and to the international convention for the unification of certain rules relating to maritime liens and mortgages, signed at Brussels April 10, 1926. See Bulletin No. 21, June, 1931, p. 17. 6 See Bulletin No. 27, December, 1931, p. 13. |