Treaty Series No. 615.
By the President of the United States of America.
A PROCLAMATION.
Whereas a Treaty between the United States of America and Italy looking to the advancement of the cause of general peace, was concluded and signed by their respective Plenipotentiaries at Washington on the fifth day of May, one thousand nine hundred and fourteen, the original of which Treaty, being in the English and Italian languages, is word for word as follows:
The President of the United States of America and His Majesty the King of Italy, being desirous to strengthen the bonds of amity that bind the two countries, and also to advance the cause of general peace, have resolved to enter into a treaty for those purposes, and to that end have appointed as their Plenipotentiaries:
The President of the United States of America, the Honorable William Jennings Bryan, Secretary of State; and
His Majesty the King of Italy, His Excellency the Marquis Cusani Confalonieri, Commander of the Order of Saint Maurice and Saint Lazarus, Grand Cordon of the Order of the Crown of Italy, etc., His Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at Washington;
Who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, found to be in proper form, have agreed upon the following articles:
Article I.
The High Contracting Parties engage to submit for investigation and report to a Commission, to be constituted according to the provisions of the following Article, all differences of whatever nature they may be which may occur between them which can not be composed by diplomatic methods or are not submitted to a tribunal of arbitration; they bind themselves not to declare war nor to open hostilities during the examination by the Commission and before the Commission has presented its report.
[Page 552]Article II.
The International Commission shall be composed of five members appointed according to the following rules:
Each country, by means of its Government, chooses two members, one from among its own subjects, the other from among those of a third State; the two Governments, after agreement, will name the fifth member, on condition, however, that he be not a citizen of either of these two countries. Each Commissioner shall hold his place during a term of four years; at the expiration of this term, or in the event of vacancy, the confirmation or the substitution of the Commissioner whose term may have expired or whose place may be vacant shall be made in the same manner.
Each of the High Contracting Parties shall have the right, before the investigation has begun, to substitute for one of the members of the Commission appointed by it another one chosen from the category to which the Commissioner to be replaced belonged.
When the Commissioners be actually occupied in the examination of a question they shall receive a compensation which will be mutually agreed upon by the High Contracting Parties.
The expenses of the Commission shall be borne by the two Governments in equal proportion. The International Commission shall be appointed within six months after the exchange of the ratifications of this treaty.
Article III.
In case the High Contracting Parties shall have failed to adjust a dispute by diplomatic methods or by means of a tribunal of arbitration, it shall at once be referred, either by common agreement or by one or the other party, to the International Commission for investigation and report.
The Commission must inform the two Governments of the date on which it will begin its labors, inviting them to furnish it with all the documents and to lend it the cooperation necessary for the investigation.
The High Contracting Parties engage to furnish all the documents and to afford all facilities for the investigation and the report, provided that in their judgment this does not conflict with the laws or with the supreme interests of the State, and provided that the interests and rights of third States shall not thereby suffer damage.
In the absence of an agreement to the contrary between the High Contracting Parties, the Commission will itself adopt regulations governing its procedure.
The report of the Commission must be presented within a period of one year after the date on which it shall declare its investigation to have begun, unless the High Contracting Parties may have shortened or prolonged by mutual agreement this term. The report shall be prepared in triplicate; one copy shall be presented to each Government, and the third shall be placed in the archives of the Commission.
The High Contracting Parties reserve to themselves the right to act independently on the subject matter of the dispute after the Commission shall have presented its report.
[Page 553]Article IV.
The present Treaty shall be ratified by the President of the United States of America, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, and by His Majesty the King of Italy, and the ratifications shall be exchanged as soon as possible.
The Treaty will come into force, for a period of five years, immediately after the exchange of ratifications. It will thereafter remain in force for twelve months more after one of the High Contracting Parties shall have notified the other of its intention to terminate it.
In witness whereof the respective plenipotentiaries have signed the present Treaty and have affixed thereunto their seals.
Done in duplicate in the English and Italian languages at Washington this fifth day of May, in the year 1914.
William Jennings Bryan [seal.]
Cusani [seal.]
And whereas the said Treaty has been duly ratified on both parts, and the ratifications of the two Governments were exchanged in the City of Washington, on the nineteenth day of March, one thousand nine hundred and fifteen:
Now, therefore, be it known that I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, have caused the said Treaty 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:
W. J. Bryan
Secretary of State.