By the President of the United States of America.
A PROCLAMATION
Whereas a Convention between the United States of America and the French Republic providing for the submission to arbitration of all questions of a legal nature or relating to the interpretation of treaties, which may arise between the two countries and which it may not have been possible to settle by diplomacy, was concluded and signed by their respective Plenipotentiaries at Washington, on the tenth day of February, one thousand nine hundred and eight, the original of which Convention, being in the English and French languages, is word for word as follows:
The Government of the United States of America and the Government of the French Republic, signatories of the Convention for the [Page 332] pacific settlement of international disputes, concluded at The Hague on the 29th July, 1899;
Taking into consideration that by Article XIX of that Convention the High Contracting Parties have reserved to themselves the right of concluding Agreements, with a view to referring to arbitration all questions which they shall consider possible to submit to such treatment,
Have authorized the Undersigned to conclude the following arrangement:—
Article I.
Differences which may arise of a legal nature, or relating to the interpretation of treaties existing between the two Contracting Parties, and which it may not have been possible to settle by diplomacy, shall be referred to the Permanent Court of Arbitration established at The Hague by the Convention of the 29th July, 1899, provided, nevertheless, that they do not affect the vital interests, the independence, or the honor of the two Contracting States, and do not concern the interests of third Parties.
Article II.
In each individual case the High Contracting Parties, before appealing to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, shall conclude a special Agreement defining clearly the matter in dispute, the scope of the powers of the Arbitrators, and the periods to be fixed for the formation of the Arbitral Tribunal and the several stages of the procedure. It is understood that on the part of the United States such special agreements will be made by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and on the part of France they will be subject to the procedure required by the constitutional laws of France.
Article III.
The present Convention shall be ratified by the President of the United States of America, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof; it shall become effective on the day of such ratification, and shall remain in force for a period of five years thereafter.
Done in duplicate in the English and French languages, at Washington, this tenth day of February, in the year 1908.
Elihu Root [seal]
Jusserand [seal]
And whereas by Article III of the said Convention it is provided that the said Convention shall become effective on the day of its ratification by the President of the United States of America;
And whereas the said Convention was duly ratified on both parts, and the ratifications of the two governments were exchanged in the City of Washington, on the 12th day of March 1908;
Now, therefore, be it known that I, Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, have caused the said Convention to be made public, to the end that the same and every article and clause [Page 333] thereof may be observed and fulfilled with good faith by the United States and the citizens thereof.
In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States of America to be affixed.
[seal]
By the President:
Elihu Root
Secretary of State.