By the President of the United States of
America.
A PROCLAMATION.
Whereas a project of arrangement for the suppression of the white slave
traffic was, on July 25, 1902, adopted for submission to their
respective Governments by the delegates of various Powers represented at
the Paris Conference for the repression of the trade in white women;
And whereas, in pursuance of Article VIII of the said project of
arrangement, the Government of the United States was, on August 18,
1902, invited by the Government of the French Republic to adhere
thereto;
And whereas the Senate of the United States, by its Resolution of March
1, 1905 (two-thirds of the Senators present concurring therein), did
advise and consent to the adhesion by the United States to the said
project of arrangement;
And whereas the stipulations of the said project of arrangement were,
word for word, and without change, confirmed by a formal agreement,
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 true copy of
which agreement, in the French language is hereto attached;
And whereas the ratifications by the said Governments of the said
agreement have been duly deposited with the Government of the French
Republic; and the said agreement has been adhered to by the Governments
of Austria-Hungary and Brazil;
And whereas the President of the United States of America, in pursuance
of the aforesaid advice and consent of the Senate, did, on the 6th day
of June, 1908, declare that the United States adheres to
[Page 334]
the said agreement in confirmation of the
said project of arrangement:
Now, therefore, be it known, That I, Theodore Roosevelt, President of the
United States of America, have caused the said agreement to be made
public, to the end that the same, and every article and clause thereof,
may be observed and fulfilled with good faith by the United States and
the citizens thereof.
In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of
the United States to be affixed.
Done at the City of
Washington, this 15th day
of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and
eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America
the one hundred and thirty-second.
[
seal.]
Theodore Roosevelt.
By the President:
Robert Bacon
Acting Secretary of State.
[Translation.]
His Majesty the German Emperor, King of Prussia, in the name of the
German Empire; His Majesty the King of the Belgians; His Majesty the
King of Denmark; His Majesty the King of Spain; the President of the
French Republic; His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas,
Emperor of India; His Majesty the King of Italy; Her Majesty the
Queen of the Netherlands; His Majesty the King of Portugal and of
the Algarves; His Majesty the Emperor of All the Russias; His
Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway, and the Swiss Federal
Council, 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 (“Traite des Blanches”) have resolved to
conclude an arrangement with a view to concert proper measures to
attain this purpose and have appointed as their Plenipotentiaries,
that is to say:
- His Majesty the German Emperor, King of Prussia, His
Serene Highness Prince Radolin, his Ambassador
Extraordinary.
- His Majesty the King of the Belgians, M. A. Leghait, his
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the
President of the French Republic;
- His Majesty the King of Denmark, Count F. Reventlow, his
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the
President of the French Republic;
- His Majesty the King of Spain, his Excellency M. F. de
Leon y Castillo, Marquis del Muni, his Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the President of the
French Republic;
- His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great
Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the
Seas, Emperor of India, his Excellency Sir E. Monson, his
Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the
President of the French Republic;
- His Majesty the King of Italy, his Excellency Count
Tornielli Brusati di Vergano, his Ambassador Extraordinary
and Plenipotentiary to the President of the French
Republic;
- Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands, M. le Chevalier
de Stuers, her Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary to the President of the French
Republic;
- His Majesty the King of Portugal and of the Algarves, M.
T. de Souza-Roza, his Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary to the President of the French
Republic;
- His Majesty the Emperor of All the Russias, his Excellency
M. de Nelidow, his Ambassador Extraordinary and
Plenipotentiary to the President of the French
Republic;
- His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway: for Sweden and
for Norway M. Åkerman, his Envoy Extraordinary and Minister
Plenipotentiary to the President of the French
Republic;
- And the Swiss Federal Council, M. Charles Edouard Lardy,
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the
Swiss Confederation to the President of the French
Republic;
Who, having exchanged their full powers, found in good and due form,
have agreed upon the following provisions:—
Article First.
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 agree to exercise a supervision for the
purpose to find out, particularly in the stations, harbours 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.
[Page 336]
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 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 can not pay herself 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 bureaux or
agencies which occupy themselves with finding places for women or
girls in foreign countries.
Art. 7.
The non-signatory 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.
[Page 337]
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.
[
l. s.] (Signed)
Delcassé.
[
l. s.] (Signed)
Randolin.
[
l. s.] (Signed)
A. Leghait.
[
l. s.] (Signed)
F. Reventlow.
[
l. s.] (Signed)
F. de Leon y
Castillo.
[
l. s.]
(Signed)
Edmund
Monson.
[
l. s]
(Signed)
G.
Tornielli.
[
l. s.]
(Signed)
A. de
Stuers.
[
l. s.]
(Signed)
T. de Souza
Roza.
[
l. s.]
(Signed)
Nelidow.
For
Sweden and Norway:
[
l. s.] (Signed)
Åkerman.
[
l. s.] (Signed)
Lardy.
