5a. Declaration modifying the preceding agreement, signed at Paris, December 8, 19191

Signed at Paris, December 8, 1919; accession by Rumania, December 9, 1919; in force for signatories July 16, 1920, except: Japan, October 14, 1920 (notice of ratification deposited January 25, 1921); Belgium, July 24, 1920; Cuba, August 16, 1920; Portugal, October 15, 1921; Rumania, September 4, 1920.

United States: Not submitted to the Senate by the President; Unperfected Treaties Q–9.

Applicable to Hungary by operation of Article 74, par. 2, of the treaty of peace with Hungary signed at Trianon, June 4, 1920 and in force July 26, 1921.

Nicaragua, Poland, and Czechoslovakia, though named in the preamble, did not sign, accede, or ratify.

DECLARATION

modifying the agreement of september 10, 1919, between the allied and associated powers with regard to the contributions [Page 830] to the cost of liberation of the territories of the former austro-hungarian monarchy.

THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, BELGIUM, THE BRITISH EMPIRE, CHINA, CUBA, FRANCE, GREECE, ITALY, JAPAN, NICARAGUA, PANAMA, POLAND, PORTUGAL, SIAM AND THE CZECHOSLOVAK STATE, Powers who have signed the Agreement concluded on September 10, 1919, at Saint-Germain-en-Laye, with regard to the contributions to the cost of liberation of the territories of the former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, and THE SERB-CROAT-SLOVENE STATE, which by an Act dated December 5, 1919, has acceded to the said Agreement subject to the modifications which are the subject of the present Declaration,

Have agreed to modify the Agreement referred to above as follows: Articles 4 and 5 are replaced by the following provisions:

Article 4.

Each of the said States shall, within three months after being requested by the Reparation Commission so to do, issue bonds to the amount of the sum due by such State for liberation and the value of property transferred, and shall deliver them to such person or body as the Governments of the United States of America, the British Empire, France and Italy may designate.

The above bonds shall be to bearer, principal and interest being payable by the issuing State without deduction for any tax or charge imposed by it or under its authority. The bonds shall bear interest at the rate of five per cent. per annum payable half yearly, beginning on January 1, 1926. They shall be repaid in twenty-five equal annual drawings, beginning on January 1, 1931. The issuing State, however, may, at its option, redeem all or part of the bonds issued by it at par and accrued interest at any time, provided ninety days’ notice of its intention so to do is given to the Governments of the United States of America, the British Empire, France and Italy.

As and when payments on such bonds fall due, the Reparation Commission shall retain, against the sums due to each of States concerned for reparation, the sums required for interest and amortization.

Plenipotentiaries who in consequence of their temporary absence from Paris have not signed the present Declaration may do so up to December 20, 1919.

[Page 831]

Made in French, in English and in Italian, of which in case of divergence the French text shall prevail, at Paris, the eighth day of December one thousand nine hundred and nineteen.

• Frank L. Polk.
• Rolin-Jaequemyns.
• Eyre A. Crowe.
• George H. Perley.
• Andrew Fisher.
• Thomas Mackenzie.
• R. A. Blankenberg.
• Eyre A. Crowe.
• Vikyuin Wellington Koo.
• Rafael Martinez Ortiz.
• G. Clemenceau.
• S. Pichon.
• L. L. Klotz.
• André Tardieu.
• Jules Cambon.
• A. Romanos.
• G. de Martino.
• K. Matsui.
• R. A. Amador.
• Affonso Costa.
• Charoon.
• Nik. P. Pachitch.
• Dr. Ante Trumbic.
• Dr. Ivan Zolger.