By the President of the United States of America.
A PROCLAMATION.
Whereas a Convention between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Spain 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 [Page 722] have been possible to settle by diplomacy, was concluded and signed by their respective Plenipotentiaries at Washington on the twentieth day of April, 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 His Majesty the King of Spain, signatories of the Convention for the 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 Convention:
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 thereof, and on the part of Spain shall be subject to the procedure required by her laws.
Article III.
The present Convention is concluded for a period of five years dating from the day of the exchange of the ratifications.
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 His Majesty the King of Spain. 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.
[Page 723]Done in duplicate in the English and Spanish languages at Washington, this twentieth day of April in the year one thousand nine hundred and eight.
Elihu Root
R. Piña y Millet
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 second 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 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 testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
[seal.]
By the President:
Elihu Root
Secretary of State.