File No. 654.119/279

Agreement between the Associated Powers and Switzerland Regarding Export of Wood 1

[Translation]

Article 1. During the period extending from May 1, 1918, to December 31, 1918, the Federal Government undertakes to insure the exportation to France or to Italy of a total quantity of—

(a)
120,000 tons, that is about 15,000 tons per month, of sawed wood, joists, blocks, boards, etc., and this according to the percentage and prices specified in the list attached to the present agreement;2
(b)
60,000 tons of cabinet wood, worked wood, huts, boxes, wood for boxes, oak, ash, beech wood, etc., goods and essences not specified in the list of prices attached to the present agreement; for these goods, conditions and prices shall be fixed by mutual agreement.

All the goods shall be divided among France, Italy, the United States and Great Britain according to fro rata determined by the delegates of the four Governments acting in mutual agreement, and delivered to these latter.

Art. 2. The Federal Government shall each month issue the export licenses to the Federations concerned, i. e., for sawed wood—

To the Swiss Cooperative Society for the cutting and exporting of wood at Berne, for the cantons of German Switzerland, including the Canton of Tessin, and to the Federation of Sawmills of French-Speaking Switzerland for the cantons of French-speaking Switzerland.

For huts:

To the Swiss Society of Promoters, to the Swiss Federation of Master Cabinet Makers of Berne, including the Federation of Master Cabinet Makers of Lausanne.

The list of these export licenses shall be sent directly by the Federal Government to the delegates specified in article 1.

The Federal Department of Public Economy reserves the right to determine the zones of activity of each of these federations and, as far as possible, according to the proportion of products supplied up to this time.

(a)
They shall deliver within the limits of the quota (article 1) the amounts of wood agreed upon.
(b)
They shall see that contracts made are strictly observed.
(c)
They shall take charge of all direct and indirect taxes which the Federal Government or the Federations levy or shall levy on the wood bought by the Allies during the time of the present agreement.
(d)
They shall distribute the orders from the Allies among their members according to the list prescribed by the Federal Department of Public Economy.
(e)
They shall deliver export licenses only for those articles which are ready for shipment.
(f)
They shall give each month to the representatives of the Allies in Switzerland through the medium of the Federal Department of Public Economy the list of the qualities and dimensions of the wood ready for shipment during the following months in accordance with the order list transmitted the preceding month.

Art. 3. The Allied Governments undertake to accept within the limits of the quota the amounts of wood agreed upon and at the [Page 1615] prices fixed. They will give in time the list of orders to be delivered each month.

Art. 4. The prices and conditions upon which the federations named above undertake to deliver the wood mentioned in article 1, to the Allies and which are accepted by these latter are specified in detail on a special list attached to the present agreement.1

Art. 5. The guarantee of delivery of the quantities stipulated is subject to the possible transportation. The quantities which can not be delivered on this account shall be carried over to the quota of the following month or months until the delivery of the complete amount detail on a special list attached to the present agreement.1

Art. 6. The Allied Governments undertake to grant export licenses for the saw-blades necessary for the Swiss lumber industry.

Art. 7. Switzerland reserves the right, however, if the higher interests of the country demand it, to restrict the quantities fixed above, in consideration of previous notice of one month.

Art. 8. Contracts made previous to the date of the present agreement between French buyers on the one hand and Swiss lumbermen or federations of Swiss lumbermen on the other hand, are maintained.

As a compromise these contracts shall be liquidated by a total delivery of 30,000 tons made at the prices and under the conditions stipulated in the list attached to the present agreement.

The quantities specified in the original contracts shall be proportionally reduced so as to form as a whole the total of 30,000 tons previously specified. These quantities shall be delivered within a term of eight months (3,750 tons per month) according to conditions fixed by the competent French authorities.

The Federation shall insure the delivery of these 30,000 tons on the basis of the contracts above referred to as to dimensions and quality.

The Federal Government undertakes to grant monthly to the Federations the export licenses necessary for the delivery of the said merchandise in conformity with the import licenses issued by the French Government.

This forfeit quantity of 30,000 tons is to be considered as an increase of the quantities provided for in article 1.

The receipt and the payment of the goods above specified shall be insured by the efforts of the qualified representative of the French Government in whose name shall be made out the bills which shall be sent through the Federations.

The prices relating to the special woods shall be increased in the same proportions as the woods shown in the attached list.

[Page 1616]

Art. 9. It is understood that the amounts of wood purchased and paid for by Italy by virtue of contracts previous to the agreement of August 30, 1917 (12,000 tons stored at Frutigen and Castione), are not included in those specified in article 1 of the present agreement. The Federal Government undertakes to issue the export licenses permitting the successive shipments of the said quantities during the time that the present agreement is in force.

Art. 10. The agreement of May 8, 1915, between Italy and Switzerland remains in force entirely. The quotas provided for in the agreement of May 8, 1915, are assigned—

(a)
To the purchases of the Italian Government from Swiss private commerce at the prices and conditions of the present agreement,
(a)
To the total liquidation of contracts previous to the present agreement. This liquidation must be finished by December 31, 1918.

Art. 11. The Federal Department of Public Economy shall require of the Federations, after investigation, the exclusion from the list of merchants of those of its members whose deliveries shall give grounds for complaint to the Allied Governments.

Art. 12. The delegates of the contracting Governments shall meet about November 15, 1918, to discuss the advisability of a new agreement regarding wood.

[List of prices omitted.]

Done at Berne in five original copies.

Signed by the representative of each of the contracting Governments, subject to ratification.

For the United States: Ellis Loring Dresel
Delegate of the War Trade Board
For France: S. Dutasta
V. de Lacroix
R. Piaton
For Great Britain: Horace Rumbold
R. L. Craigie
For Italy: dell’ Abbadessa
Col. A. Bossi
For Switzerland: Schulthess
Grobet Roussy
A. Cailler
Heer
  1. The signed original in French was forwarded by the Minister in Switzerland as enclosure to his despatch No. 3000, May 3, received May 24 (File No. 654.119/279). The translation is from War Trade Board files: Switzerland, Supplementary Negotiations, vol. I. All the terms of the agreement had been reported in telegrams (File Nos. 654.119/203, 205, 224).
  2. Not printed.
  3. Not printed.
  4. Not printed.