Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1918, Supplement 1, The World War, Volume II

File No. 654.119/279

Supplementary Protocol to Agreement of May 1, 1918, between the Associated Powers and Switzerland¹

[Translation]

• Present:
• Mr. Ellis Loring Dresel, Delegate of the War Trade Board of the United States of America
• Messrs. S. E. M. Dutasta, Ambassador of the French Republic Victor de Lacroix, Secretary of the Embassy Captain Piaton, Commercial Delegate
• Messrs. Sir Horace Rumbold, Minister of His Britannic Majesty
• R. L. Craigie, Secretary of the British Legation
• Commander dell’ Abbadessa, Vice Director General of Italian Customs

Messrs. Schulthess, Federal Councilor	}	Delegates of the Swiss Government
Grobet Roussy, National Councilor
A. Cailler, National Councilor
Henry Heer

The meeting was called to order at 5 o’clock, Federal Councilor Schulthess in chair.

Upon signing the agreement regarding wood, the Swiss delegates make the following statements which form an integral part of the present agreement:

1. This agreement is signed with the reservation that Switzerland resumes its entire liberty concerning the export of the products specified in the agreement of May 12, 1917.²

2. On the other hand Switzerland declares herself ready to deliver to the contracting countries an amount of milk products, based on the liter of whole milk, according to the attached table,³ equal to 50 per cent of that which shall be exported, not including the delivery of fresh milk in the frontier zones as heretofore. It is agreed that exports to the Entente countries shall consist of condensed milk. This provision shall be in force so long as the present agreement shall last.

3. The Allied delegates take note of the present statements with which they declare themselves to be in agreement, and undertake to recommend to their Governments that exceptions be made to the prohibitions provided for in the minutes of May 12, 1917, concerning the revision of quotas,³ and table E of the agreement of December 5, 1917, with the United States of America,¹ regarding the exports of hides and leather.

4. The Swiss delegates have stated that the Government of the United States has permitted the export to Switzerland of 12,500 tons of edible fats and oils. Under these circumstances the delegates would agree to recommend to their Governments the facilitation of the delivery of these products in Switzerland as soon as possible, authorizing this importation by imputing the respective amounts to quotas 76, 77, 107, and 108, taken as a whole.

The Allied delegates recognize that the importation of oil cake into Switzerland is of the greatest importance for feeding the cattle and dairy production, in the name of their Governments they undertake to facilitate as far as possible and within the limit of the quotas, its export to Switzerland, this exportation being intimately connected with the possibility of exporting dairy products from Switzerland.

Done at Berne, in five original copies, signed by the representatives of each of the contracting Governments.

Berne , May 1, 1918.

For the United States:	Ellis Loring Dresel Delegate of the War Trade Board
For France:	S. Dutasta
	V. de Lacroix
	K. Piaton
For Great Britain:	Horace Rumbold
	R. L. Craigie
For Italy:	dell’ Abbadessa
For Switzerland:	Schulthess
	Grobet Roussy
	A. Cailler
	Heer

1. See footnote 1, ante, p. 1613. The supplementary protocol was embodied in the minutes of the closing session of the conferences between the representatives of the Associated Governments and Switzerland.
2. Foreign Relations, 1917, Supplement 2, vol. II, p. 1161.
3. Not printed.
3. Not printed.
1. Foreign Relations, 1917, Supplement 2, vol. II, pp. 1185–1196.