Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 3, 1906, (In two parts), Part II

Ambassador White to the Secretary of State .

American Embassy,
Rome , January 2, 1906 .

No. 96.]

Sir: I have the honor to inform you that when calling at the foreign office recently on other business, I was asked by the director general, Senator Melvano, whether I had heard anything from my Government as to its probable action with respect to the convention for the proposed international institute of agriculture. He said that nineteen powers—among them Russia, Italy, Belgium, Switzerland, Spain, France, and Denmark—have already signed the convention; that six others, of which Germany is one, have notified to the Italian Government their intention to do likewise—the German ambassador having been actually notified of the approaching arrival of his authorization to sign the convention—and that fifteen countries, our own among them, have not yet been heard from.

Senator Malvano added that as the creation of the international institute of agriculture is a subject in which the King takes a deep interest, as well as this Government, the foreign office would be glad to hear at as early a date as practicable from those powers whose views and intentions had not yet been announced, especially from the United States, who, he hoped, would not fail to join the convention.

I replied that I had as yet heard nothing from you on the subject, but that I should report to you what he had said, and I suggested his sending me, for your information, a memorandum, of which I inclose a copy and translation, setting forth the names of the powers which have joined the convention, of those which have expressed their intention to do so, and of those which have yet to be heard from on the subject.

I have, etc.,

Henry White.

[Inclosure.—Translation.]

memorandum—convention for the international institute of agriculture.

(a) States that have signed: Italy, Montenegro, Russia, Argentina, Roumania, Servia, Belgium, Salvador, Portugal, Mexico, Luxemburg; Switzerland, Persia, Japan, Ecuador, Bulgaria, Spain, France, Denmark.

(b) States which have notified their adhesion and have also designated their respective plenipotentiaries for the signature of the convention: Greece, Santo Domingo, Netherlands, Peru, Germany,^a Egypt.

(c) State which has announced its adhesion, but from which the official notification has not yet arrived: Chile.

(d) States which have given no reply: Austria-Hungary, Brazil, China, Costa Rica, Cuba, United States of America, Ethiopia, Great Britain, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Norway, Paraguay, Sweden, Turkey, Uruguay.

1. Ambassador Monte has already received the advice of full powers.