File No. 249
[Untitled]
Washington, May 15, 1908.
To the diplomatic officers of the United States to Mexico, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, and the Central and South American States.
Gentlemen: The conventions signed by the delegates accredited to the Third Pan American Conference at Rio de Janeiro, relating to (1) arbitration of pecuniary claims, (2) the status of naturalized citizens, and (3) codes of public and private international law, have been ratified by the United States, and, in accordance with the procedure which is observed in the cases of international acts signed in one original, the instruments of ratification by the United States [Page 3] were deposited with the Government of Brazil in order that that Government might notify the other Governments through diplomatic channels. The department is advised that this has been done.
The American ambassador at Rio de Janeiro has informed the department, under date of March 28, 1908, that no other Government had deposited its ratification of any of these conventions with the Brazilian Government. It would appear, however, from information previously received from the ambassador, that the Government of Brazil had been notified of the ratification of the convention for the arbitration of pecuniary claims by Mexico, and of the convention looking to the establishment of an international commission of jurists for the purpose of preparing draft codes of private and public international law by Mexico, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Uruguay, Peru, Costa Rica, the Argentine Republic, and Guatemala.
The department is further informed by a note from the minister of Nicaragua at Washington, dated February 20, 1908, that all the conventions and resolutions signed at the Rio conference had been ratified by the Legislature of Nicaragua; but no information has been received by the department showing that the Brazilian Government has been notified to this effect.
The department thinks it probable that there are other countries which have ratified some or all of these three conventions, but have not, owing to lack of information as to the procedure to be followed, deposited their ratifications with, or given notice of their ratification to, the Brazilian Government. For this reason the department will be pleased to have you communicate the foregoing to the Government to which you are accredited, sending to it at the same time copies of the three conventions mentioned, which are inclosed herewith for the purpose, and inquiring whether it has ratified any or all of these conventions. If any of them has not been ratified by that Government, the department desires you to ascertain whether it is its intention to ratify and, if not, the reason why.
I am, etc.
Acting Secretary.