Mr. Walter R. Gardner Mr. George C. Haas Mr. Harry C. Hawkins Secretary Mr. James C. Dunn CONVERSATIONS AT WASHINGTON PREPARATORY TO THE CONFERENCE 2 In addition to those listed on page 21 of Treaty Information. Bulletin No. 43, April 1933, the Governments of the countries listed below have accepted the invitation extended by this Government to participate at Washington in conversations preliminary to the Conference to be held in London: Austria, Australia, Costa Rica, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, Finland, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, Latvia, Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Persia, Spain, Sweden, Union of South Africa, and Uruguay. TARIFF TRUCE On May 12, 1933, Mr. Norman Davis reported to the Secretary of State from London that the tariff truce had been approved that day by the Governments represented on the Organizing Committee of the Monetary and Economic Conference, namely, United States of America, Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Japan, and Norway. The Japanese and Italian Ambassadors approved ad referendum, the former for constitutional reasons and the latter because he had not received final word from his Government, which he felt confident would be forthcoming shortly as they had approved in principle. The French and German representatives introduced certain explanations and qualifications which will be included in the procès-verbal, but which have not yet been reported to the Department of State. The following is understood to be the text as adopted, although official confirmation has not yet been received: "The Governments of Germany, Belgium, United States of America, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, France, Italy, Japan, and Norway, represented on the Or ganizing Committee for the Monetary and Economic Conference, convinced that it is essential for the successful conclusion of the Conference that the measures of all kinds which at the present time misdirect and paralyze international trade be not intensified pending an opportunity for the Conference to deal effectively with the problems created thereby, recognize the urgency of adopting at the beginning of the Conference a tariff truce, the provisions of which shall be laid down by common agreement. "The said Governments, being further convinced that immediate action is of great importance, themselves agree, and strongly urge all other Governments participating in the Conference to agree, that they will not, before the 12th of June nor during the proceedings of the Conference, adopt any new initiatives which might increase the many varieties of difficulties now arresting international commerce, subject to the proviso that they retain the right to withdraw from this agreement at any time after July 31, 1933, on giving one month's previous notice to the Conference. "One of the main motives which brings the Governments together in common is to surmount the obstacles to international trade above referred to; the said Governments therefore urge all other Governments represented at the Conference to act in conformity with the spirit of this objective. "NOTE. It is understood that action taken in accordance with the considerations set out in part 1b, subsection 11, of the draft annotated agenda submitted by the Preparatory Commission of Experts (c48.m.18. 1933) would not be in conflict with this resolution.” FINANCE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY AND ECONOMIC CONFERENCE In regard to the personnel of the American Delegation to the Monetary and Economic Conference to be held at London, the status of conversations at Washington preparatory to the conference, and the status of the tariff truce, see the section of this bulletin headed "Commerce ". INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY CONVENTION BETWEEN GERMANY AND GUATEMALA FOR THE RECIPROCAL PROTECTION OF PATENTS OF INVENTION AND MODELS By a despatch dated April 26, 1933, the American Minister to Guatemala transmitted to the Department a copy of Legislative Decree No. 1822 approving a convention between Germany and Guatemala, signed August 13, 1930, for the reciprocal protection of patents of invention and models. The decree was published in the official journal, the Diario de Centro America, April 24, 1933, which also published a presidential order ratifying the convention and publishing the text. LABOR CONVENTION CONCERNING THE MARKING OF THE WEIGHT ON HEAVY PACKAGES TRANSPORTED BY VESSELS Yugoslavia A communication dated May 10, 1933, from the League of Nations contains the information that the instrument of ratification by Yugoslavia of the convention concerning the marking of the weight on heavy packages transported by vessels, adopted by the International Labor Conference at its twelfth session (Geneva, May 30-June 21, 1929), was registered with the Secretariat on April 22, 1933. Mexico POSTAL POSTAL UNION OF THE AMERICAS AND SPAIN 3 The American Embassy at Madrid transmitted to the Department of State with a despatch dated May 16, 1933, a clipping with translation, from the Gaceta de Madrid of May 13, 1933, printing an announcement made by the Ministry of State of the deposit of the ratification by Mexico of the convention of the Postal Union of the Americas and Spain and the agreements concerning parcels post and money orders signed at Madrid November 10, 1931. The deposit took place March 10, 1933. PARCEL-POST AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND NEW ZEALAND On May 3, 1933, the President approved and ratified the parcelpost agreement and the detailed regulations for the execution thereof, signed at Washington April 24, 1933, and at Wellington March 3, 1933, between the postal administrations of the United States of America and New Zealand. This agreement "substitutes and abrogates" that signed at Washington April 18, 1900, and at Wellington February 12, 1900. By the terms of article 25 it shall remain in force until one of the administrations of the two contracting countries has given notice to the other, six months in advance, of its intention to terminate it. UNIVERSAL POSTAL CONVENTION AND SUBSIDIARY AGREEMENTS Afghanistan The Swiss Minister at Washington addressed the following letter, under date of May 3, 1933, to the Secretary of State concerning the 3 See Bulletin No. 43, April 1933, p. 24. adherence of Afghanistan to the arrangement concerning parcels post signed at London June 28, 1929: "In compliance with the instructions of my Government, I have the honor to advise you that, by a note of September 23, last, the Royal Legation of Afghanistan at Paris informed the Swiss Federal Council of an official communication from the Autonomous P.T.T. Office of Afghanistan of March 30, 1932, relative to the adherence of the Royal Government of Afghanistan to the Act of the Universal Postal Union, mentioned below, which was signed at London June 28, 1929: "Arrangement concerning parcel-post packages. "The Royal Legation of Afghanistan has advised, further, that the Autonomous P.T.T. Office of Afghanistan will impose a surtax of 50 centimes on packages instead of that of 25 centimes provided in article 8 of the Arrangement, since transportation in Afghanistan is expensive. "Afghanistan will accept parcel post packages coming from British India only. "Because of the special case of the application of a surtax higher than 25 centimes, the International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union proceeded, in conformity to Article 51, last paragraph, of the Arrangement of London relative to parcel post packages, to a preliminary consultation of the countries participating in the Arrangement. The result of this consultation having been favorable, the adherence of Afghanistan took effect on April 12, 1933, that is to say, after the expiration of a period of six months elapsing after the date of the consultation provided for in the above cited article. "The notification of the adherence of Afghanistan to the Act in question is given to you by the present note pursuant to article 2 of the Universal Postal Convention of London. "In advising you of the above, I take [etc.]" The Secretary General of the League of Nations by a communication dated April 28, 1933, informed the Secretary of State that the Government of Australia has notified the Secretariat that it has no objection regarding the reservations which the Netherland Government desires to make to render applicable to the Netherland Indies the international convention relating to economic statistics, of December 14, 1928. 'See Bulletin No. 43, April 1933, p. 24. Argentina TELECOMMUNICATIONS INTERNATIONAL RADIO CONVENTION On May 15, 1933, the Argentine Ambassador at Washington deposited with the Department of State the instrument of ratification by Argentina of the international radio convention, and the regulations annexed thereto, signed at Washington November 25, 1927. NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICAN REGIONAL RADIO CONFERENCE The American Embassy at Mexico City has informed the Department of State of the receipt of a communication from the Mexican Foreign Office inviting the Government of the United States to attend a North American and Central American Regional Conference to find a concrete solution of the various problems which the development of radio broadcasting has created, particularly between adjacent and neighboring countries. The Conference will open in Mexico City on July 10, 1933. It is the intention of the Government of the United States to accept this invitation. |