Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1920, Volume I

Unperfected Treaty No. Y–9

Convention for the Control of the Trade in Arms and Ammunition, and Protocol, Signed at Saint-Germain-en-Laye and Paris September 10, 1919. ⁵¹

[Translation]

The United States of America, Belgium, Bolivia, the British Empire, China, Cuba, Ecuador, France, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, the Hedjaz, Italy, Japan, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Roumania, the Serb-Croat-Slovene State, Siam and Czecho-Slovakia;

Whereas the long war now ended, in which most nations have successively become involved, has led to the accumulation in various parts of the world of considerable quantities of arms and munitions of war, the dispersal of which would constitute a danger to peace and public order;

Whereas in certain parts of the world it is necessary to exercise special supervision over the trade in, and the possession of, arms and ammunition;

Whereas the existing treaties and conventions, and particularly the Brussels Act of July 2, 1890,⁵² regulating the traffic in arms and ammunition in certain regions, no longer meet present conditions, which require more elaborate provisions applicable to a wider area in Africa and the establishment of a corresponding régime in certain territories in Asia;

Whereas a special supervision of the maritime zone adjacent to certain countries is necessary to ensure the efficacy of the measures adopted by the various Governments both as regards the importation of arms and ammunition into those countries and the export of such arms and ammunition from their own territory;

And with the reservation that, after a period of seven years, the present Convention shall be subject to revision in the light of the experience gained, if the Council of the League of Nations, acting if need be by a majority, so recommends;

Have appointed as their Plenipotentiaries:

• The President of the United States of America:
  • The Honourable Frank Lyon Polk, Under-Secretary of State;
  • The Honourable Henry White, formerly Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United States at Rome and Paris;
  • General Tasker H. Bliss, Military Representative of the United States on the Supreme War Council;
• His Majesty the King of the Belgians:
  • M. Paul Hymans, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister of State;
  • M. Jules van den Heuvel, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of His Majesty the King of the Belgians, Minister of State;
  • M. Emile Vandervelde, Minister of Justice, Minister of State;
• The President of the Republic of Bolivia:
  • M. Ismail Montes, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Bolivia at Paris;
• His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Emperor of India:
  • The Right Honourable Arthur James Balfour, O.M., M.P., His Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs;
  • The Right Honourable Andrew Bonar Law, M.P., His Lord Privy Seal;
  • The Right Honourable Viscount Milner, G.C.B., G.C.M.G., His Secretary of State for the Colonies;
  • The Right Honourable George Nicoll Barnes, M.P., Minister without Portfolio.

And

• for the Dominion of Canada:
  • The Honourable Sir Albert Edward Kemp, K.C.M.G., Minister of the Overseas Forces;
• for the Commonwealth of Australia:
  • The Honourable George Foster Pearce, Minister of Defence;
• for the Union of South Africa:
  • The Right Honourable Viscount Milner, G.C.B., G.C.M.G.;
• for the Dominion of New Zealand:
  • The Honourable Sir Thomas Mackenzie, K.C.M.G., High Commissioner for New Zealand in the United Kingdom;
• for India:
  • The Right Honourable Baron Sinha, K.C., Under-Secretary of State for India;
• The President of the Chinese Republic:
  • M. Lou Tseng-Tsiang, Minister for Foreign Affairs;
  • M. Chengting Thomas Wang, formerly Minister of Agriculture and Commerce;
• The President of the Cuban Republic:
  • M. Antonio Sanchez de Bustamante, Dean of the Faculty of Law in the University of Havana, President of the Cuban Society of International Law;
• The President of the Republic of Ecuador:
  • M. Dorn y de Alsua, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Ecuador at Paris;
• The President of the French Republic:
  • M. Georges Clemenceau, President of the Council, Minister of War;
  • M. Stephen Pichon, Minister for Foreign Affairs;
  • M. Louis-Lucien Klotz, Minister of Finance;
  • M. André Tardieu, Commissary-General for Franco-American Military Affairs;
  • M. Jules Cambon, Ambassador of France;
• His Majesty the King of the Hellenes:
  • M. Nicolas Politis, Minister for Foreign Affairs;
  • M. Athos Romanos, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the French Republic;
• The President of the Republic of Guatemala:
  • M. Joaquim Mendez, formerly Minister of State for Public Works and Public Instruction, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Guatemala at Washington, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary on Special Mission at Paris;
• The President of the Republic of Haїti:
  • M. Tertullien Guilbaud, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Haїti to Ecuador;
• His Majesty the King of the Hedjaz:
  • M. Rustem Haidar;
  • M. Abdul Hadi Aouni;
• His Majesty the King of Italy:
  • The Honourable Tommaso Tittoni, Senator of the Kingdom, Minister for Foreign Affairs;
  • The Honourable Vittorio Scialoja, Senator of the Kingdom;
  • The Honourable Maggiorino Ferraris, Senator of the Kingdom;
  • The Honourable GugTielmo Marconi, Senator of the Kingdom;
  • The Honourable Silvio Crespi, Deputy;
• His Majesty the Emperor of Japan:
  • Viscount Chinda, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of H. M. the Emperor of Japan at London;
  • M. K. Matsui, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of H. M. the Emperor of Japan at Paris;
  • M. H. Ijuin, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of H. M, the Emperor of Japan at Rome;
• The President of the Republic of Nicaragua:
  • M. Salvador Chamorro, President of the Chamber of Deputies;
• The President of the Republic of Panama:
  • M. Antonio Burgos, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Panama at Madrid;
• The President of the Republic of Peru:
  • M. Carlos G. Candamo, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Peru at Madrid;
• The President of the Polish Republic:
  • M. Ignace J. Paderewski, President of the Council of Ministers, Minister for Foreign Affairs;
  • M. Roman Dmowski, President of the Polish National Committee;
• The President of the Portuguese Republic:
  • Dr. Affonso da Costa, formerly President of the Council of Ministers;
  • Dr. Augusto Luiz Vieira Soares, formerly Minister for Foreign Affairs;
• His Majesty the King of Roumania:
  • M. Nicolas Misu, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Roumania at London;
  • Dr. Alexander Vaida-Voevod, Minister without Portfolio;
• His Majesty the King of the Serbs, the Croats, and the Slovenes:
  • M. N. P. Pachitch, formerly President of the Council of Ministers;
  • M. Ante Trumbic, Minister for Foreign Affairs;
  • M. Ivan Zolger, Doctor of Law;
• His Majesty the King of Siam:
  • His Highness Prince Charoon, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of H. M. the King of Siam at Paris;
  • His Serene Highness Prince Traidos Prabandhu, Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs;
• The President of the Czecho-Slovak Republic:
  • M. Charles Kramář, President of the Council of Ministers;
  • M. Edouard Beneš, Minister for Foreign Affairs;

Who, having communicated their full powers found in good and due form.

Have agreed as follows:

Chapter I. Export of Arms and Ammunition

Article 1

The High Contracting Parties undertake to prohibit the export of the following arms of war: artillery of all kinds, apparatus for the discharge of all kinds of projectiles explosive or gas-diffusing, flame-throwers, bombs, grenades, machine-guns and rifled small-bore breech-loading weapons of all kinds, as well as the exportation of the ammunition for use with such arms. The prohibition of exportation shall apply to all such arms and ammunition, whether complete or in parts.

Nevertheless, notwithstanding this prohibition, the High Contracting Parties reserve the right to grant, in respect of arms whose use is not prohibited by International Law, export licences to meet the requirements of their Governments or those of the Government of any of the High Contracting Parties, but for no other purpose.

In the case of firearms and ammunition adapted both to warlike and also to other purposes, the High Contracting Parties reserve to themselves the right to determine from the size, destination, and other circumstances of each shipment for what uses it is intended and to decide in each case whether the provisions of this Article are applicable to it.

Article 2

The High Contracting Parties undertake to prohibit the export of firearms and ammunition, whether complete or in parts, other than arms and munitions of war, to the areas and zone specified in Article 6.

Nevertheless, notwithstanding this prohibition, the High Contracting Parties reserve the right to grant export licences on the understanding that such licences shall be issued only by their own authorities. Such authorities must satisfy themselves in advance that the arms or ammunition for which an export licence is requested are not intended for export to any destination, or for disposal in any way, contrary to the provisions of this Convention.

Article 3

Shipments to be effected under contracts entered into before the coming into force of the present Convention shall be governed by its provisions.

Article 4

The High Contracting Parties undertake to grant no export licences to any country which refuses to accept the tutelage under which it has been placed, or which, after having been placed under the tutelage of any Power, may endeavour to obtain from any other Power any of the arms or ammunition specified in Articles 1 and 2.

Article 5

A Central International Office, placed under the control of the League of Nations, shall be established for the purpose of collecting and preserving documents of all kinds exchanged by the High Contracting Parties with regard to the trade in, and distribution of, the arms and ammunition specified in the present Convention.

Each of the High Contracting Parties shall publish an annual report showing the export licences which it may have granted, together with the quantities and destination of the arms and ammunition to which the export licences referred. A copy of this report shall be sent to the Central International Office and to the Secretary-General of the League of Nations.

Further, the High Contracting Parties agree to send to the Central International Office and to the Secretary-General of the League of Nations full statistical information as to the quantities and destination of all arms and ammunition exported without licence.

Chapter II. Import of Arms and Ammunition. Prohibited Areas and Zone of Maritime Supervision

Article 6

The High Contracting Parties undertake, each as far as the territory under its jurisdiction is concerned, to prohibit the importation of the arms and ammunition specified in Articles 1 and 2 into the following territorial areas, and also to prevent their importation and transportation in the maritime zone defined below:

1. The whole of the Continent of Africa with the exception of Algeria, Libya and the Union of South Africa.

Within this area are included all islands situated within a hundred nautical miles of the coast, together with Prince’s Island, St. Thomas Island and the Islands of Annobon and Socotra.

2. Transcaucasia, Persia, Gwadar, the Arabian Peninsula and such continental parts of Asia as were included in the Turkish Empire on August 4[1?], 1914.

3. A maritime zone, including the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman, and bounded by a line drawn from Cape Guardafui, following the latitude of that cape to its intersection with longitude 57° east of Greenwich, and proceeding thence direct to the eastern frontier of Persia in the Gulf of Oman.

Special licenses for the import of arms or ammunition into the areas defined above may be issued. In the African area they shall be subject to the regulations specified in Articles 7 and 8 or to any local regulations of a stricter nature which may be in force. In the other areas specified in the present Article, these licences shall be subject to similar regulations put into effect by the Governments exercising authority there.

Chapter III. Supervision on Land

Article 7

Arms and ammunition imported under special licence into the prohibited areas shall be admitted only at ports designated for this purpose by the Authorities of the State, Colony, Protectorate or territory under mandate concerned.

Such arms and ammunition must be deposited by the importer at his own risk and expense in a public warehouse under the exclusive custody and permanent control of the Authority and of its agents, of whom one at least must be a civil official or a military officer. No arms or ammunition shall be deposited or withdrawn without the previous authorisation of the administration of the State, Colony, Protectorate or territory under mandate, unless the arms and ammunition to be deposited or withdrawn are intended for the forces of the Government or the defence of the national territory.

The withdrawal of arms or ammunition deposited in these warehouses shall be authorised only in the following cases:—

1. For despatch to places designated by the Government where the inhabitants are allowed to possess arms, under the control and responsibility of the local Authorities, for the purpose of defence against robbers or rebels.

2. For despatch to places designated by the Government as warehouses and placed under the supervision and responsibility of the local Authorities.

3. For individuals who can show that they require them for their legitimate personal use.

Article 8

In the prohibited areas specified in Article 6, trade in arms and ammunition shall be placed under the control of officials of the Government and shall be subject to the following regulations:

1. No person may keep a warehouse for arms or ammunition without a licence.

2. Any person licensed to keep a warehouse for arms or ammunition must reserve for that special purpose enclosed premises having only one entry, provided with two locks, one of which can be opened only by the officers of the Government.

The person in charge of a warehouse shall be responsible for all arms or ammunition deposited therein and must account for them on demand. For this purpose all deposits or withdrawals shall be entered in a special register, numbered and initialled. Each entry shall be supported by references to the official documents authorising such deposits or withdrawals.

3. No transport of arms or ammunition shall take place without a special licence.

4. No withdrawal from a private warehouse shall take place except under licence issued by the local Authority on an application stating the purpose for which the arms or ammunition are required, and supported by a licence to carry arms or by a special permit for the purchase of ammunition. Every arm shall be registered and stamped; the Authority in charge of the control shall enter on the licence to carry arms the mark stamped on the weapon.

5. No one shall without authority transfer to another person either by gift or for any consideration any weapon or ammunition which he is licensed to possess.

Article 9

In the prohibited areas and zone specified in Article 6 the manufacture and assembling of arms, or ammunition shall be prohibited, except at arsenals established by the local Government or, in the case of countries placed under tutelage, at arsenals established by the local Government, under the control of the mandatory Power, for the defence of its territory or for the maintenance of public order.

No arms shall be repaired except at arsenals or establishments licensed by the local Government for this purpose. No such licence shall be granted without guarantees for the observance of the rules of the present Convention.

Article 10

Within the prohibited areas specified in Article 6, a State which is compelled to utilise the territory of a contiguous State for the importation of arms or ammunition, whether complete or in parts, or of material or of articles intended for armament, shall be authorised on request to have them transported across the territory of such State.

It shall, however, when making any such request, furnish guarantees that the said articles are required for the needs of its own Government, and will at no time be sold, transferred or delivered for private use nor used in any way contrary to the interests of the High Contracting Parties.

Any violation of these conditions shall be formally established in the following manner:—

(a) If the importing State is a sovereign independent Power, the proof of the violation shall be advanced by one or more of the Representatives accredited to it of contiguous States among the High Contracting Parties. After the Representatives of the other contiguous States have, if necessary, been informed, a joint enquiry into the facts by all these Representatives will be opened, and if need be, the importing State will be called upon to furnish explanations. If the gravity of the case should so require, and if the explanations of the importing State are considered unsatisfactory, the Representatives will jointly notify the importing State that all transit licences in its favor are suspended and that all future requests will be refused until it shall have furnished new and satisfactory guarantees.

The forms and conditions of the guarantees provided by the present Article shall be agreed upon previously by the Representatives of the contiguous States among the High Contracting Parties. These Representatives shall communicate to each other, as and when issued, the transit licences granted by the competent authorities.

(b) If the importing State has been placed under the mandatory system established by the League of Nations, the proof of the violation shall be furnished by one of the High Contracting Parties or on its own initiative by the Mandatory Powers. The latter shall then notify or demand, as the case may be, the suspension and future refusal of all transit licences.

In cases where a violation has been duly proved, no further transit licence shall be granted to the offending State without the previous consent of the Council of the League of Nations.

If any proceedings on the part of the importing State or its disturbed condition should threaten the public order of one of the contiguous State signatories of the present Convention, the importation in transit of arms, ammunition, material and articles intended for armament shall be refused to the importing State by all the contiguous States until order has been restored.

Chapter IV. Maritime Supervision

Article 11

Subject to any contrary provisions in existing special agreements, or in future agreements, provided that in all cases such agreements comply with the provisions of the present Convention, the sovereign State or Mandatory Power shall carry out all supervision and police measures within territorial waters in the prohibited areas and zone specified in Article 6.

Article 12

Within the prohibited areas and maritime zone specified in Article 6, no native vessel of less than 500 tons burden shall be allowed to ship, discharge, or tranship arms or ammunition.

For this purpose, a vessel shall be considered as a native vessel if she is either owned by a native, or fitted out or commanded by a native, or if more than half of the crew are natives of the countries bordering on the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, or the Gulf of Oman.

This provision does not apply to lighters or barges, nor to vessels which, without going more than five miles from the shore, are engaged exclusively in the coasting trade between different ports of the same State, Colony, Protectorate or territory under mandate, where warehouses are situated.

No cargoes of arms or ammunition shall be shipped on the vessels specified in the preceding paragraph without a special licence from the territorial authority, and all arms or ammunition so shipped shall be subject to the provisions of the present Convention.

This licence shall contain all details necessary to establish the nature and quantity of the items of the shipment, the vessel on which the shipment is to be loaded, the name of the ultimate consignee, and the ports of loading and discharge. It shall also be specified thereon that the licence has been issued in conformity with the regulations of the present Convention.

The above regulations do not apply:

1. To arms or ammunition conveyed on behalf of the Government, provided that they are accompanied by a duly qualified official.

2. To arms or ammunition in the possession of persons provided with a licence to carry arms, provided such arms are for the personal use of the bearer and are accurately described on his licence.

Article 13

To prevent all illicit conveyance of arms or ammunition within the zone of maritime supervision specified in Article 6 (3), native vessels of less than 500 tons burden not exclusively engaged in the coasting trade between different ports of the same State, Colony, Protectorate or territory under mandate, not going more than five miles from the shore, and proceeding to or from any point within the said zone, must carry a manifest of their cargo or similar document specifying the quantities and nature of the goods on board, their origin and destination. This document shall remain covered by the secrecy to which it is entitled by the law of the State to which the vessel belongs, and must not be examined during the proceedings for the verification of the flag unless the interested party consents thereto.

The provisions as to the above-mentioned documents shall not apply to vessels only partially decked, having a maximum crew of ten men, and exclusively employed in fishing within territorial waters.

Article 14

Authority to fly the flag of one of the High Contracting Parties within the zone of maritime supervision specified in Article 6 (3) shall be granted only to such native vessels as satisfy all the three following conditions:

1. The owners must be nationals of the Power whose flag they claim to fly.

2. They must furnish proof that they possess real estate in the district of the authority to which their application is addressed, or must supply a solvent security as a guarantee for any fines to which they may become liable.

3. Such owners, as well as the captain of the vessel, must furnish proof that they enjoy a good reputation, and especially that they have never been convicted of illicit conveyance of the articles referred to in the present Convention.

The authorisation must be renewed every year. It shall contain the indications necessary to identify the vessel, the name, tonnage, type of rigging, principal dimensions, registered number, and signal letters. It shall bear the date on which it was granted and the status of the official who granted it.

The name of the native vessel and the amount of her tonnage shall be incised and painted in Latin characters on the stern, and the initial letters of the name of the port of registry, as well as the registration number in the series of the numbers of that port, shall be painted in black on the sails.

Article 15

Native vessels to which, under the provisions of the last paragraph of Article 13, the regulations relating to the manifest of the cargo are not applicable, shall receive from the territorial or consular authorities, as the case may be, a special licence, renewable annually and revocable under the conditions provided for in Article 19.

This special licence shall show the name of the vessel, her description, nationality, port of registry, name of captain, name of owner and the waters in which she is allowed to sail.

Article 16

The High Contracting Parties agree to apply the following rules in the maritime zone specified in Article 6 (3):—

1. When a warship belonging to one of the High Contracting Parties encounters outside territorial waters a native vessel of less than 500 tons burden flying the flag of one of the High Contracting Parties, and the commander of the warship has good reason to believe that the native vessel is flying this flag without being entitled to do so, for the purpose of the illicit conveyance of arms or ammunition, he may proceed to verify the nationality of the vessel by examining the document authorising the flying of the flag, but no other papers.

2. With this object, a boat commanded by a commissioned officer in uniform may be sent to visit the suspected vessel after she has been hailed to give notice of such intention. The officer sent on board the vessel shall act with all possible consideration and moderation; before leaving the vessel the officer shall draw up a procès-verbal in the form and language in use in his own country. This procès-verbal shall state the facts of the case and shall be dated and signed by the officer.

Should there be on board the warship no commissioned officer other than the commanding officer, the above-prescribed operations may be carried out by the warrant, petty, or non-commissioned officer highest in rank.

The captain or master of the vessel visited, as well as the witnesses, shall be invited to sign the procès-verbal, and shall have the right to add to it any explanation which they may consider expedient.

3. If the authorisation to fly the flag cannot be produced, or if this document is not in proper order, the vessel shall be conducted to the nearest port in the zone where there is a competent authority of the Power whose flag has been flown and shall be handed over to such authority.

Should the nearest competent authority representing the Power whose flag the vessel has flown be at some port at such a distance from the point of arrest that the warship would have to leave her station or patrol to escort the captured vessel to that port, the foregoing regulation need not be carried out. In such a case, the vessel may be taken to the nearest port where there is a competent authority of one of the High Contracting Parties of nationality other than that of the warship, and steps shall at once be taken to notify the capture to the competent authority representing the Power concerned.

No proceedings shall be taken against the vessel or her crew until the arrival of the representative of the Power whose flag the vessel was flying or without instructions from him.

4. The procedure laid down in paragraph 3 may be followed if, after the verification of the flag and in spite of the production of the manifest, the commander of the warship continues to suspect the native vessel of engaging in the illicit conveyance of arms or ammunition.

The High Contracting Parties concerned shall appoint in the zone territorial or consular authorities or special representatives competent to act in the foregoing cases, and shall notify their appointment to the Central Office and to the other Contracting Parties.

The suspected vessel may also be handed over to a warship of the nation whose flag she has flown, if the latter consents to take charge of her.

Article 17

The High Contracting Parties agree to communicate to the Central Office specimen forms of the documents mentioned in Articles 12, 13, 14 and 15, as well as a detailed list of the licences granted in accordance with the provisions of this Chapter whenever such licences are granted.

Article 18

The authority before whom the suspected vessel has been brought shall institute a full enquiry in accordance with the laws and rules of his country in the presence of an officer of the capturing warship.

If it is proved at this enquiry that the flag has been illegally flown, the detained vessel shall remain at the disposal of the captor, and those responsible shall be brought before the courts of his country.

If it should be established that the use of the flag by the detained vessel was correct, but that the vessel was engaged in the illicit conveyance of arms or ammunition, those responsible shall be brought before the courts of the State under whose flag the vessel sailed. The vessel herself and her cargo shall remain in charge of the authority directing the inquiry.

Article 19

Any illicit conveyance or attempted conveyance legally established against the captain or owner of a vessel authorised to fly the flag of one of the Signatory Powers or holding the licence provided for in Article 15 shall entail the immediate withdrawal of the said authorisation or licence.

The High Contracting Parties will take the necessary measures to ensure that their territorial authorities or their consuls shall send to the Central Office certified copies of all authorisations to fly their flag as soon as such authorisations shall have been granted, as well as notice of withdrawal of any such authorisation. They also undertake to communicate to the said Office copies of the licences provided for under Article 15.

Article 20

The commanding officer of a warship who may have detained a vessel flying a foreign flag shall in all cases make a report thereon to his Government, stating the grounds on which he acted.

An extract from this report, together with a copy of the procès-verbal drawn up by the officer, warrant officer, petty or non-commissioned officer sent on board the vessel detained shall be sent as soon as possible to the Central Office and at the same time to the Government whose flag the detained vessel was flying.

Article 21

If the authority entrusted with the enquiry decides that the detention and diversion of the vessel or the measures imposed upon her were irregular, he shall fix the amount of the compensation due. If the capturing officer, or the authorities to whom he is subject, do not accept the decision or contest the amount of the compensation awarded, the dispute shall be submitted to a court of arbitration consisting of one arbitrator appointed by the Government whose flag the vessel was flying, one appointed by the Government of the capturing officer, and an umpire chosen by the two arbitrators thus appointed. The two arbitrators shall be chosen, as far as possible, from among the diplomatic, consular or judicial officers of the High Contracting Parties. These appointments must be made with the least possible delay, and natives in the pay of the High Contracting Parties shall in no case be appointed. Any compensation awarded shall be paid to the person concerned within six months at most from the date of the award.

The decision shall be communicated to the Central Office and to the Secretary-General of the League of Nations.

Chapter V. General Provisions

Article 22

The High Contracting Parties who exercise authority over territories within the prohibited areas and zone specified in Article 6 agree to take, so far as each may be concerned, the measures required for the enforcement of the present Convention, and in particular for the prosecution and repression of offences against the provisions contained therein.

They shall communicate these measures to the Central Office and to the Secretary-General of the League of Nations, and shall inform them of the competent authorities referred to in the preceding Articles.

Article 23

The High Contracting Parties will use their best endeavours to secure the accession to the present Convention of other States Members of the League of Nations.

This accession shall be notified through the diplomatic channel to the Government of the French Republic, and by it to all the signatory or adhering States. The accession will come into force from the elate of such notification to the French Government.

Article 24

The High Contracting Parties agree that if any dispute whatever should arise between them relating to the application of the present Convention which cannot be settled by negotiation, this dispute shall be submitted to an arbitral tribunal in conformity with the provisions of the Covenant of the League of Nations.

Article 25

All the provisions of former general international Conventions, relating to the matters dealt with in the present Convention, shall be considered as abrogated in so far as they are binding between the Powers which are Parties to the present Convention.

Article 26

The present Convention shall be ratified as soon as possible.

Each Power will address its ratification to the French Government, who will inform all the other signatory Powers.

The ratifications will remain deposited in the archives of the French Government.

The present Convention shall come into force for each Signatory Power from the date of the deposit of its ratification, and from that moment that Power will be bound in respect of other Powers which have already deposited their ratifications.

On the coming into force of the present Convention, the French Government will transmit a certified copy to the Powers which under the Treaties of Peace have undertaken to accept and observe it, and are in consequence placed in the same position as the Contracting Parties. The names of these Powers will be notified to the States which accede.

In faith whereof the above-named Plenipotentiaries have signed the present Convention.

Done at Paris,⁵⁴ the tenth day of September, one thousand nine hundred and nineteen, in a single copy which will remain deposited in the archives of the Government of the French Republic, and of which authentic copies will be sent to each of the Signatory Powers.

• (L.S.) Frank L. Polk
• (L.S.) Henry White
• (L.S.) Tasker H. Bliss
• (L.S.) Hymans
• (L.S.) J. van den Heuvel
• (L.S.) E. Vandervelde
• (L.S.) Ismail Montes
• (L.S.) Arthur James Balfour
• (L.S.)
• (L.S.) Milner
• (L.S.) Geo. N. Barnes
• (L.S.) A. E. Kemp
• (L.S.) G. F. Pearce
• (L.S.) Milner
• (L.S.) Thomas Mackenzie
• (L.S.) Sinha of Raipur
• (L.S.) J. R. Loutsengtsiang
• (L.S.) Chengting Thomas Wang
• (L.S.) Antonio S. de Bustamante
• (L.S.) E. Dorn y de Alsua
• (L.S.) G. Clemenceau
• (L.S.) S. Pichon
• (L.S.) L.-L. Klotz
• (L.S.) André Tardieu
• (L.S.) Jules Cambon
• (L.S.) N. Politis
• (L.S.) A. Romanos
• (L.S.) M. Rustem Haidar
• (L.S.) Abdul Hadi Aouni
• (L.S.) Tom. Tittoni
• (L.S.) Vittorio scialoja
• (L.S.) Maggiorino Ferraris
• (L.S.) Guglielmo Marconi
• (L.S.) S. Chinda
• (L.S.) K. Matsui
• (L.S.) H. Ijuin
• (L.S.) Salvador Chamorro
• (L.S.) Antonio Burgos
• (L.S.) I. J. Paderewski
• (L.S.) Roman Dmowski
• (L.S.) Affonso Costa
• (L.S.) Augusto Soares
• (L.S.) N. Misu
• (L.S.) Alex. Vaida Voevod
• (L.S.)
• (L.S.)
• (L.S.) Dr. Yvan Zolger
• (L.S.) Charoon
• (L.S.) Traidos Prabandhu
• (L.S.) D. Karel Kramar
• (L.S.) Dr. Eduard Benes

PROTOCOL

At the moment of signing the Convention of even date relating to the trade in arms and ammunition, the undersigned Plenipotentiaries declare in the name of their respective Governments that they would regard it as contrary to the intention of the High Contracting Parties and to the spirit of this Convention that, pending the coming into force of the Convention, a Contracting Party should adopt any measure which is contrary to its provisions.

Done at Saint-Germain-en-Laye,⁵⁵ in a single copy, the tenth day of September, one thousand nine hundred and nineteen.

• Frank L. Polk
• Henry White
• Tasker H. Bliss
• Hymans
• J. van den Heuvel
• E. Vandervelde
• Ismail Montes
• Arthur James Balfour
• Milner
• Geo. N. Barnes
• A. E. Kemp
• G. F. Pearce
• Milner
• Thomas Mackenzie
• Sinha of Raipur
• J. R. loutsengtsiang
• Chengting Thomas Wang
• Antonio S. de Bustamante
• E. Dorn y de Alsua
• G. Clemenceau
• S. Pichon
• L.-L. Klotz
• André Tardieu
• Jules Cambon
• N. Politis
• A. Romanos
• M. Rustem Haidar
• Abdul Hadi Aouni
• Tom. Tittoni
• Vittorio Scialoja
• Maggiorino Ferraris
• Guglielmo Marconi
• S. Chinda
• K. Matsui
• H. Ijuin
• Salvador Chamorro
• Antonio Burgos
• I. J. Paderewski
• Roman Dmowski
• Affonso Costa
• Augusto Soares
• N. Misu
• Alex. Vaida Voevod
• Dr. Ivan Zolger
• Charoon
• Traidos Prabandhu
• D. Karel Kramar
• Dr. Eduard Benes

51. In French only; the translation here printed, with the exception of slight changes in names and signatures to conform to the certified French text, is that published ibid., p. 3752.
52. For text, see Malloy, Treaties, vol. ii, p. 1964.
54. Some of the signatures were affixed at Paris and some at Saint-Germain-en-Laye.
55. Some of the signatures were affixed at Paris and some at Saint-Germainen-Laye.