By the President of the United States of America.
A PROCLAMATION.
Whereas an Arbitration Convention between the United States of America and the Kingdom of Denmark was concluded and signed by their respective Plenipotentiaries at Washington on the eighteenth day of May, one thousand nine hundred and eight, the original of which Convention, being in the English and Danish languages, is word for word as follows:
The Government of the United States of America and His Majesty the King of Denmark, signatories of the Convention for the pacific settlement of international disputes, concluded at The Hasrue 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 [Page 240] 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 on the part of the United States 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 Denmark by the King in such forms and conditions as He may find requisite or appropriate.
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 Denmark.
The ratifications of this Convention shall be exchanged at Washington as soon as possible, and it shall take effect on the date of the exchange of its ratifications.
Done in duplicate in the English and Danish languages, at Washington, this 18th day of May in the year 1908.
Robert Bacon [seal.]
C. Brun. [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-ninth day of March, one thousand nine hundred and nine.
Now, therefore, be it known that I, William Howard Taft, 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.
By the President:
P C Knox,
Secretary of State.