By the President of the United States of America.
A PROCLAMATION.
Whereas a Convention between the United States of America and the Government of Mexico, providing for the submission to arbitration of all questions of a legal nature or relating to the interpretation [Page 626] 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 twenty-fourth day of March, one thousand nine hundred and eight, the original of which Convention, being in the English and Spanish languages, is word for word as follows:
The Government of the United States of America and the Government of Mexico, signatories of the Convention for the pacific settlement of international disputes, concluded at The Hague on the 29th of 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 whether of a legal nature or relative to the interpretation of the treaties existing between the two contracting parties and which it may not have been possible to settle by diplomacy, in case no other arbitration should have been agreed upon, shall be referred to the Permanent Court of Arbitration established at The Hague by the Convention of the 29th July 1899, provided that they do not affect the vital interests, the independence, or the honor of either of the contracting parties and do not prejudice the interests of a third party.
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 such special agreements shall be made by the Presidents of both contracting countries by and with the advice and consent of their respective Senates.
Article III.
The foregoing stipulations in no wise annul, but on the contrary define, confirm and continue in effect the declarations and rules contained in Article XXI of the Treaty of peace, friendship and boundaries between the United States and Mexico signed at the city of Guadalupe Hidalgo on the second of February one thousand eight hundred and forty-eight.
Article IV.
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; and by the Government of Mexico in accordance with [Page 627] its constitution and laws. The ratifications shall be exchanged at Washington as soon as possible, and the Convention shall take effect on the date of the exchange of its ratifications.
Article V.
The present Convention is concluded for a period of five years dating from the day of the exchange of its ratifications.
Done in duplicate at the City of Washington, in the English and Spanish languages, this twenty-fourth day of March in the year 1908.
Elihu Root [seal]
José F. Godoy [seal]
And whereas the said Convention has been duly ratified on both parts, and the ratifications of the two Governments were exchanged in the City of Washington, on the twenty-seventh day of June, one thousand nine hundred and eight;
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 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 testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
By the President:
Robert Bacon
Acting Secretary of State.