Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, 1925, Volume I

500.A14/379

The Minister in Switzerland (Gibson) to the Secretary of State

Berne, July 24, 1925.
[Received August 11.]

No. 471

Sir: In compliance with the instructions contained in the Department’s telegram No. 61, of July 17, 6 p.m.,⁶² I am transmitting, under separate cover, twenty copies of the various Acts signed at Geneva on June 17, 1925, at the conclusion of the Conference for the Control of the Traffic in Arms.⁶³ These additional documents, which have just been made available, are being transmitted by open mail.

I have [etc.]

Hugh Gibson

[Enclosure 1⁶⁴]

Convention for the Supervision of the International Trade in Arms and Ammunition and in Implements of War, Signed at Geneva, June 17, 1925⁶⁵

Germany, the United States of America, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, the British Empire, Canada, the Irish Free State and India, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Colombia, Denmark, Egypt, Spain, Esthonia, Abyssinia, Finland, France, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, the Netherlands, Persia, Poland, Portugal, Roumania, Salvador, Siam, Sweden, Switzerland, the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, Czechoslovakia, Turkey, Uruguay and Venezuela,

Whereas the international trade in arms and ammunition and in implements of war should be subjected to a general and effective system of supervision and publicity;

Whereas such a system is not provided by existing Treaties and Conventions;

Whereas in relation to certain areas of the world a special supervision of this trade is necessary in order to render more effective the measures adopted by the various Governments as regards both the import of such arms and ammunition and implements of war into these areas and their export therefrom; and

Whereas the export or import of arms, ammunition or implements, the use of which in war is prohibited by International Law, must not be permitted for such purpose;

Have decided to conclude a Convention and have accordingly appointed as their Plenipotentiaries:

[Here follow the names of the Plenipotentiaries.]⁶⁶

Who, having communicated their full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed as follows:

Chapter I.—Categories

Article 1

For the purposes of the present Convention, five Categories of arms, ammunition and implements are established:

category i. arms, ammunition and implements of war exclusively designed and intended for land, sea or aerial warfare

A.—Arms, ammunition and implements exclusively designed and intended for land, sea or aerial warfare, which are or shall be comprised in the armament of the armed forces of any State, or which, if they have been but are no longer comprised in such armament, are capable of military to the exclusion of any other use, except such arms, ammunition and implements which, though included in the above definition, are covered by other Categories.

Such arms, ammunition and implements are comprised in the following twelve headings:

1. Rifles, muskets, carbines.

2. (a) Machine-guns, automatic rifles and machine-pistols of all calibres;

(b) Mountings for machine-guns;

(c) Interrupter gears.

3. Projectiles and ammunition for the arms enumerated in Nos. 1 and 2 above.

4. Gun-sighting apparatus including aerial gun-sights and bombsights, and fire-control apparatus.

5. (a) Cannon, long or short, and howitzers, of a calibre less than 5.9 inches (15 cm.);

(b) Cannon, long or short, and howitzers, of a calibre of 5.9 inches (15 cm.) or above;

(c) Mortars of all kinds;

(d) Gun carriages, mountings, recuperators, accessories for mountings.

6. Projectiles and ammunition for the arms enumerated in No. 5 above.

7. Apparatus for the discharge of bombs, torpedoes, depth charges and other kinds of projectiles.

8. (a) Grenades;

(b) Bombs;

(c) Land mines, submarine mines, fixed or floating, depth charges;

(d) Torpedoes.

9. Appliances for use with the above arms and apparatus.

10. Bayonets.

11. Tanks and armoured cars.

12. Arms and ammunition not specified in the above enumeration.

B.—Component parts, completely finished, of the articles covered by A above, if capable of being utilised only in the assembly or repair of the said articles, or as spare parts.

category ii. arms and ammunition capable of use both for military and other purposes

A.—1. Pistols and revolvers, automatic or self-loading, and developments of the same, designed for single-handed use or fired from the shoulder, of a calibre greater than 6.5 mm. and length of barrel greater than 10 cm.

2. Fire-arms designed, intended or adapted for non-military purposes, such as sport or personal defence, that will fire cartridges that can be fired from fire-arms in Category I; other rifled fire-arms firing from the shoulder, of a calibre of 6 mm. or above, not included in Category I, with the exception of rifled fire-arms with a “breakdown” action.

3. Ammunition for the arms enumerated in the above two headings, with the exception of ammunition covered by Category I.

4. Swords and lances.

B.—Component parts, completely finished, of the articles covered by A above, if capable of being utilised only in the assembly or repair of the said articles, or as spare parts.

category iii. vessels of war and their armament

1. Vessels of war of all kinds.

2. Arms, ammunition and implements of war mounted on board vessels of war and forming part of their normal armament.

category iv

1. Aircraft, assembled or dismantled.

2. Aircraft engines.

category v

1. Gunpowder and explosives, except common black gunpowder.

2. Arms and ammunition other than those covered by Categories I and II, such as pistols and revolvers of all models, rifled weapons with a “break-down” action, other rifled fire-arms of a calibre of less than 6 mm. designed for firing from the shoulder, smooth-bore shot-guns, guns with more than one barrel of which at least one barrel is smooth-bore, fire-arms firing rimfire ammunition, muzzle-loading fire-arms.

Chapter II.—Supervision and Publicity

Article 2

The High Contracting Parties undertake not to export or permit the export of articles covered by Category I, except in accordance with the following conditions:

1. The export shall be for a direct supply to the Government of the importing State or, with the consent of such Government, to a public authority subordinate to it;

2. An order in writing, which shall be signed or endorsed by a representative of the importing Government duly authorised so to act, shall have been presented to the competent authorities of the exporting country. This order shall state that the articles to be exported are required for delivery to the importing Government or public authority as provided in paragraph 1.

Article 3

Nevertheless, export for supply to private persons may be permitted in the following cases:

1. Articles covered by Category I exported direct to a manufacturer of war material for use by him for the requirements of his industry, provided their import has been duly authorised by the Government of the importing country;

2. Rifles, muskets and carbines and their ammunition exported for supply to rifle associations formed for the encouragement of individual sport and duly authorised by their own Government to use them, the import of which is not contrary to any other provisions of the present Convention. Such arms and ammunition shall be sent direct to the Government of the importing country for transmission by such Government to the associations for which they are supplied.

3. Samples of articles covered by Category I exported for demonstration purposes direct to a trade representative of the exporting manufacturer, such representative being duly authorised by the Government of the importing country to receive them.

In the above-mentioned cases, an order in, writing, endorsed by the Government of the importing country or by its representative duly authorised so to act, must have been presented to the authorities of the exporting country. It shall contain all the information necessary to show that the order is properly made under this Article.

Article 4

Permission to export under Articles 2 and 3 shall be signified by a licence. An export declaration, if filed with and approved by the competent authorities of the exporting country, may take the place of a licence.

Such licence or declaration must contain:

(a) A description sufficient for the identification of the articles to which it relates, and giving their designation according to the headings in Category I, and their number or weight;

(b) The name and address of the exporter;

(e) The name and address of the importing consignee;

(d) The name of the Government which has authorised the import.

Each separate consignment which crosses the frontier of the exporting country, whether by land, water or air, shall be accompanied by a document containing the particulars indicated above. This document may be either the licence or export declaration or a certified copy thereof or a certificate issued by the Customs authorities of the exporting country, stating that the consignment is exported under licence or export declaration in accordance with the provisions of the present Convention.

Article 5

The articles covered by Category II shall only be exported under cover of an export document, which may be either a licence issued by the competent authorities of the exporting country or an export declaration endorsed by or filed with them. If the legislation of the importing country requires the endorsement of a duly authorised representative of its Government, and if this fact has been notified by the said Government to the Government of the exporting country, then such an endorsement must have been obtained and submitted to the competent authorities of the exporting country before the export may take place.

Neither the licence nor the export declaration shall entail any responsibility upon the Government of the exporting country as to the destination or ultimate use of any consignment.

Nevertheless, if the High Contracting Parties consider, on account of the size, destination or other circumstances of a consignment, that the arms and ammunition consigned are intended for war purposes, they undertake to apply to such consignment the provisions of Articles 2, 3 and 4.

Article 6

As a preliminary to a general system of publicity for armaments irrespective of their origin, the High Contracting Parties undertake to publish, within two months of the close of each quarter, a statistical return of their foreign trade during this quarter in the articles covered by Categories I and II. This return shall be drawn up in accordance with the specimen forms contained in Annex I to the present Convention and shall show under each heading appearing in Categories I and II in Article 1 the value and the weight or number of the articles exported or imported under a licence or export declaration, allocated according to country of origin or destination.

In all cases where the consignment comes from, or is sent to, a territory possessing an autonomous Customs system, such territory shall be shown as the country of origin or destination.

The High Contracting Parties further undertake, so far as each may be concerned, to publish within the same time-limits a return containing the same information in respect of the consignments of articles covered by Categories I and II to other territories placed under their sovereignty, jurisdiction, protection or tutelage, or under the same sovereignty, jurisdiction, protection or tutelage.

The first statistical return to be published by each of the High Contracting Parties shall be for the quarter beginning on the first day of January, April, July or October, subsequent to the date on which the present Convention comes into force with regard to the High Contracting Party concerned.

The High Contracting Parties undertake to publish as an annex to the above-mentioned return the text of the provisions of all statutes, orders or regulations in force within their territory dealing with the export and import of articles covered by Article 1, and to include therein all provisions enacted for the purpose of carrying out the present Convention. Amendments and additions to these provisions shall be likewise published in annexes to subsequent quarterly returns.

Article 7

The High Contracting Parties, in all cases covered by Category III, undertake to publish within two months of the close of each quarter a return for that quarter, giving the information detailed below for each vessel of war constructed, in course of construction or to be constructed within their territorial jurisdiction on behalf of the Government of another State:

(a) The date of the signing of the contract for the construction of the vessel, the name of the Government for which the vessel is ordered, together with the following data:

• Standard displacement in tons and metric tons;
• The principal dimensions, namely: length at water-line, extreme beam at or below water-line, mean draft at standard displacement;

(b) The date of laying the keel, the name of the Government for which the vessel is being constructed, together with the following data:

• Standard displacement in tons and metric tons;
• The principal dimensions, namely: length at water-line, extreme beam at or below water-line, mean draft at standard displacement;

(c) The date of delivery, the name of the Government to which the vessel is delivered, together with the following data with respect to the vessel at that date:

• Standard displacement in tons and metric tons;
• The principal dimensions, namely: length at water-line, extreme beam at or below water-line, mean draft at standard displacement;

As well as the following information regarding the armament installed on board the vessel at the date of delivery and forming part of the vessel’s normal armament:

• Number and calibre of guns;
• Number and calibre of torpedo-tubes;
• Number of bomb-throwers;
• Number of machine-guns.

The above information concerning the armament of the vessel shall be furnished by means of a statement signed by the shipbuilder and countersigned by the commanding officer or such other representative fully authorised for the purpose by the Government of the State to whom the vessel is delivered. Such statement shall be transmitted to the competent authority of the Government of the constructing country.

Whenever a vessel of war belonging to one of the High Contracting Parties is transferred, whether by gift, sale or other mode of transfer, to the Government of another State, the transferor undertakes to publish within two months of the close of the quarter within which the transfer is effected the following information:

The date of transfer, the name of the Government to whom the vessel has been transferred and the data and information referred to in paragraph (c) above.

By the standard displacement in the present Article is to be understood the displacement of the vessel complete, fully manned, engined and equipped ready for sea, including all armament and ammunition, equipment, outfit, provisions and fresh water for crew, miscellaneous stores and implements of every description that are intended to be carried in war, but without fuel or reserve feed-water on board.

Article 8

Without prejudice to the provisions of Article 7, if the transport of any vessel of war is carried out otherwise than by such vessel’s own motive power or towage, the vessel, whether assembled or in component parts, and the armament thereof will become subject also to the provisions of this Convention as if they were included in Category I.

Article 9

The High Contracting Parties undertake to publish, within six months of the close of each quarter, a return for that quarter of the export of aircraft and aircraft engines, giving quantities exported and their allocation according to country of destination.

Article 10

Subject to the provisions of Chapter III, the articles covered by Categories IV and V may be exported without formalities or restrictions.

Article 11

The High Contracting Parties undertake not to apply a more favourable regime to imports of articles referred to in Article 1 coming from territories of non-contracting States than that which they will apply to such imports coming from territories of contracting States, and to subject these imports, of whatever origin, to the same conditions of authorisation and, so far as possible, of publicity.

Chapter III.—Special Zones

Article 12

The High Contracting Parties agree that the provisions of this Chapter apply to the territorial and maritime zones hereinafter defined and referred to in the present Convention as the “special zones”.

1. Land zone.

(a) The whole of the continent of Africa, with the exception of Egypt, Lybia, Tunisia, Algeria, the Spanish possessions in North Africa, Abyssinia, and of the Union of South Africa together with the territory under its mandate, and of Southern Rhodesia.

This zone also includes the adjacent islands which are situated within 100 marine miles from the coast thereof and also Prince’s Island (Principe) in the Bight of Biafra, St. Thomas (Sâo Thomé), Annobon and Socotra, but does not include the Spanish islands situated to the north of the parallel of 26° North latitude.

(b) The Arabian peninsula, Gwadar, Syria and Lebanon, Palestine and Transjordan, and Iraq.

2. Maritime zone.

A maritime zone, which includes the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman and is bounded by a line drawn from and following the latitude of Cape Guardafui to the point of intersection with longitude 57° East of Greenwich and proceeding thence direct to the point at which the eastern frontier of Gwadar meets the sea.

Article 13

The High Contracting Parties undertake not to export or to permit articles covered by Categories I, II, IV and V to be exported to places within the special zones, unless a licence has been issued in conformity with the conditions defined in Article 14.

An export declaration, if filed with and approved by the competent authorities of the exporting country, may take the place of a licence.

The High Contracting Parties also undertake, each in respect of any territory under its sovereignty, jurisdiction, protection or tutelage situated within the special zones, not to permit articles covered by the Categories above mentioned to be imported into such territory unless their import has been authorised by the authorities of the territory concerned. Such articles shall only be admitted into territory within the special zones at such ports or other places as the authorities of the State, colony, protectorate or mandated territory concerned shall designate for this purpose.

Article 14

The High Contracting Parties undertake not to issue the export licences nor to approve the export declarations required under Article 13 unless they are satisfied that the conditions stated in paragraph (a) or (b) hereof are fulfilled and also, as regards articles covered by Categories I and II, the conditions laid down in Articles 2, 3, 4 and 5.

(a) That, if an export is being made to territory under the sovereignty, jurisdiction, protection or tutelage of a High Contracting Party, articles covered by Categories I, II and IV to which the licence or export declaration applies are required for lawful purposes and that the authorities of the territory to which they are consigned are willing to admit them; and that, in the case of articles covered by Category V, a copy of the licence or export declaration has been sent to the authorities aforesaid before the export takes place.

(b) That, if an export is being made to territory which is not under the sovereignty, jurisdiction, protection or tutelage of a High Contracting Party, articles covered by Categories I, II, IV and V are required for lawful purposes.

Article 15

The High Contracting Parties undertake to publish, in addition to the returns provided for in Article 6 and Article 9 in respect of articles covered by Categories I, II and IV, a return of articles covered by Category V exported to territory situated within the special zones. This return shall be published within the same time-limits and at the same intervals as those provided in the first paragraph of Article 6, and shall contain, as far as possible, the same particulars.

Article 16

The trade in articles covered by Categories I, II, IV and V within the special zones shall be placed under the supervision of officials of the authorities of the State, colony, protectorate or mandated territory concerned.

The admission and transit of and trade in such articles within the said zones shall also be subject to the provisions of Section I, §§ 1 and 2, of Annex II of the present Convention, to which provisions the High Contracting Parties undertake to conform.

An authorisation must be given by a duly authorised representative of the authorities aforesaid in each case before any such articles may be reconsigned to any place outside the territory to which they have been admitted.

Article 17

The manufacture, assembly and repair within the special zones of articles covered by Categories I, II, IV and V shall be subject to the provisions of Section I, § 3, of Annex II of the present Convention, to which provisions the High Contracting Parties undertake to conform.

Article 18

The High Contracting Parties undertake, each in respect of any territory under its sovereignty, jurisdiction, protection or tutelage situated within the special zones, not to permit the transit by land across such territory of articles covered by Categories I, II, IV and V when their destination is another territory also situated in the special zones, unless their transport to their destination is assured and the authorities of the latter territory have authorised their import.

The prohibition referred to in the above paragraph shall not apply to the transit of such articles through a territory situated in the special zones when their destination is territory of one of the High Contracting Parties not included in the said zones, provided that their transport to their destination is assured.

If, for the purposes of transport to a territory situated within the special zones, it is necessary to pass through a contiguous territory likewise situated within the said zones, the transit shall be permitted, subject always to the conditions laid down in the first paragraph hereof, at the request of the authorities of the importing territory, provided that such authorities guarantee that the articles in respect of which the request is made shall not at any time be sold, or otherwise transferred, contrary to the provisions of the present Convention. Nevertheless, if the attitude or the disturbed condition of the importing State constitutes a threat to peace or public order, permission for transit shall be refused to such State by the authorities of all such contiguous territories until this threat has ceased to exist.

Article 19

Subject to any contrary provisions in existing special agreements or in any future agreements, provided that in all cases such agreements otherwise comply with the provisions of the present Convention, the High Contracting Parties agree that in the special zones the authorities of the State, colony, protectorate or mandated territory concerned shall carry out within their territorial waters the supervision and police measures necessary for the application of the present Convention.

Article 20

The High Contracting Parties agree that within the special zones no native vessel, as hereinafter defined, of less than 500 tons (net tonnage) shall be allowed to ship, discharge or tranship articles covered by Categories I, II, IV and V.

A vessel shall be deemed to be a native vessel if she is either owned, fitted out or commanded by a native of any country bordering on the Indian Ocean west of the meridian of 95° East of Greenwich and north of the parallel of 11° South latitude, the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, or the Gulf of Oman, or if at least one-half of the crew are natives of such countries.

The provisions of paragraph 1 hereof do not apply to lighters or barges or to vessels engaged exclusively in the coasting trade between different ports of the same State, colony, protectorate or mandated territory where warehouses are situated. The conditions under which articles covered by Categories I, II, IV and V may be carried by such vessels are laid down in § 1 of Section II of Annex II of the present Convention, to which the High Contracting Parties undertake to conform.

The provisions of this Article and of Section II, § 1, of Annex II do not apply:

(a) To arms, ammunition or implements carried on behalf of a Government either under an authorisation or accompanied by a duly authorised official of such Government; or

(b) To arms and ammunition in the possession of persons provided with a licence to carry arms on the condition that such arms are for the personal use of the bearer and are accurately described in such licence.

Article 21

The High Contracting Parties agree that, with the object of preventing all illicit conveyance within the special zones of articles covered by Categories I, II, IV and V, all native vessels within the meaning of Article 20 must carry a manifest of their cargo or a similar document specifying the quantities and nature of the goods on board, their origin and destination. This manifest 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 proceedings for the verification of the flag, unless the interested party consents thereto.

The provisions of this Article shall not apply to:

(a) Vessels exclusively engaged in the coasting trade between different ports of the same State, colony, protectorate or mandated territory; or

(b) Vessels engaged in carrying arms, ammunition and implements on behalf of a Government under the conditions defined in Article 20 (a) and proceeding to or from any point within the said zones; or

(c) Vessels only partially decked, having a maximum crew of ten men, and exclusively employed in fishing within territorial waters.

Article 22

The High Contracting Parties agree that no authorisation to fly the flag of any of such High Contracting Parties shall be granted to native vessels of less than 500 tons (net tonnage) as defined in Article 20, except in accordance with the conditions prescribed in Section II, §§ 3 and 4, of Annex II of the present Convention. Such authorisation, which shall be in writing, shall be renewed every year and shall contain the particulars necessary to identify the vessel, the name, tonnage, type of rigging, principal dimensions, registered number and signal letters if any. It shall bear the date on which it was granted and the status of the official who granted it.

Article 23

The High Contracting Parties agree to communicate to any other High Contracting Party who so requests the forms of the documents to be issued by them under Articles 20 (a), 21 and 22 and Section II, § 1, of Annex II of the present Convention.

The High Contracting Parties further agree to take all necessary measures to ensure that the following documents shall be supplied as soon as possible to any other High Contracting Party who has requested the same:

(a) Certified copies of all authorisations to fly the flag granted under the provisions of Article 22;

(b) Notice of the withdrawal of such authorisations;

(c) Copies of authorisations issued under Section II, § 1, of Annex II.

Article 24

The High Contracting Parties agree to apply in the maritime zone the regulations laid down in Annex II, Section II, § 5, of the present Convention.

Article 25

The High Contracting Parties agree that 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 High Contracting Parties, or holding the licence provided for in Section II, § 1, of Annex II, of the present Convention, shall entail the immediate withdrawal of the said authorisation or licence.

Article 26

The High Contracting Parties who have under their sovereignty, jurisdiction, protection or tutelage territory situated within the special zones, undertake, so far as each is concerned, to take the necessary measures to ensure the application of the present Convention and, in particular, the prosecution and punishment of offences against the provisions thereof, and to appoint the territorial and consular officers or competent special representatives for the purpose.

They will communicate these measures to such High Contracting Parties as shall have expressed the desire to be informed thereof.

Article 27

The High Contracting Parties agree that the provisions of Articles 16 to 26 inclusive and of Annex II of the present Convention establishing a certain regime of supervision in the special zones shall not be interpreted, as regards such High Contracting Parties as have no territory under their sovereignty, jurisdiction, protection or tutelage within or immediately adjacent to the said special zones, either as constituting an obligation to apply the regime defined in the abovementioned provisions or as involving their responsibility with respect to the application of this regime.

However, the said High Contracting Parties shall conform to the provisions of Articles 22, 23 and 25, which relate to the conditions under which native vessels under 500 tons (net tonnage) may be authorised to fly the flag of such High Contracting Parties.

Chapter IV.—Special Provisions

Article 28

Abyssinia, desirous of rendering as effective as possible the supervision of the trade in arms and ammunition and in implements of war, which is the subject of the present Convention, hereby undertakes, in the free exercise of her sovereign rights, to put into force, so far as concerns her own territory, all regulations which may be necessary to fulfil the provisions of Articles 12 to 18 inclusive of the said Convention relating to exports, imports and the transport of arms, ammunition and implements of war.

The High Contracting Parties take note of the above undertaking, and, being in full sympathy with the desire of Abyssinia to render as effective as possible the supervision of the trade in arms and ammunition and in implements of war, hereby undertake to conform to the provisions of the above-mentioned Articles so far as concerns Abyssinian territory, and to respect the regulations put into force, in accordance with the said undertaking, by Abyssinia as a sovereign State.

If a State, at present included in the special zones, should at the moment of its accession to the present Convention assume with respect to its own territory the same undertakings as those set forth in the first paragraph of this Article, and also, when such State possesses a sea-coast, those contained in Articles 19 to 26 inclusive in so far as the same are applicable, the High Contracting Parties hereby declare that they will consider such State as excluded from the said zones from the date that its accession becomes effective as specified in Article 41 and that they will accept as regards such State the obligations set forth in the second paragraph of the present Article, and also, when the State excluded possesses a sea-coast, the obligations of Articles 19 to 27 inclusive in so far as they are applicable.

Article 29

The High Contracting Parties agree to accept reservations which may be made by Esthonia, Finland, Latvia, Poland and Roumania at the moment of their signature of the present Convention and which shall suspend in respect of these States, until the accession of Russia to the present Convention, the application of Articles 6 and 9, as regards both export to and import into these countries by the High Contracting Parties. These reservations shall not be interpreted as preventing the publication of statistics in accordance with the laws and regulations in effect within the territory of any High Contracting Party.

Article 30

The High Contracting Parties who possess extra-territorial jurisdiction in the territory of another State party to the present Convention undertake in cases where the rules of this Convention cannot be enforced by the local courts as regards their nationals in such territory to prohibit all action by such nationals contrary to the provisions of the present Convention.

Chapter V.—General Provisions

Article 31

The provisions of the present Convention are completed by those of Annexes I and II which have the same value and shall enter into force at the same time as the Convention itself.

Article 32

The High Contracting Parties agree that the provisions of the present Convention do not apply:

(a) To arms or ammunition or to implements of war forwarded from territory under the sovereignty, jurisdiction, protection or tutelage of a High Contracting Party for the use of the armed forces of such High Contracting Party, wherever situated, nor

(b) To arms or ammunition carried by individual members of such forces or by other persons in the service of a High Contracting Party and required by them by reason of their calling, nor

(c) To rifles, muskets, carbines and the necessary ammunition therefor, carried by members of rifle clubs for the sole purpose of individual use in international competitions in marksmanship.

Article 33

In time of war, and without prejudice to the rules of neutrality, the provisions of Chapter II shall be suspended from operation until the restoration of peace so far as concerns any consignment of arms or ammunition or of implements of war to or on behalf of a belligerent.

Article 34

All the provisions of general international Conventions anterior to the date of the present Convention, such as the Convention for the Control of the Trade in Arms and Ammunition and the Protocol signed at St. Germain-en-Laye on September 10th, 1919, shall be considered as abrogated in so far as they relate to the matters dealt with in the present Convention and are binding between the Powers which are Parties to the present Convention.

The present Convention shall not be deemed to affect any rights and obligations which may arise out of the provisions) either of the Covenant of the League of Nations or of the Treaties of Peace signed in 1919 and 1920 at Versailles, Neuilly, St. Germain and Trianon, or of the Treaty Limiting Naval Armaments signed at Washington on February 6th, 1922, or of any other treaty, convention, agreement or engagement concerning prohibition of import, export or transit of arms or ammunition or of implements of war; nor, without prejudice to the provisions of the present Convention itself, shall it affect any other treaty, convention, agreement or engagement other than those referred to in paragraph 1 of the present Article having as its object the supervision of import, export or transit of arms or ammunition or of implements of war.

Article 35

The High Contracting Parties agree that disputes arising between them relating to the interpretation or application of this Convention shall, if they cannot be settled by direct negotiation, be referred for decision to the Permanent Court of International Justice. In case either or both of the States to such a dispute should not be parties to the Protocol of December 16th, 1920, relating to the Permanent Court of International Justice, the dispute shall be referred, at the choice of the Parties and in accordance with the constitutional procedure of each State, either to the Permanent Court of International Justice or to a court of arbitration constituted in accordance with the Hague Convention of October 18th, 1907, or to some other court of arbitration.

Article 36

Any High Contracting Party may declare that its signature or ratification or accession does not, as regards the application of the provisions of Chapter II and of Articles 13, 14 and 15 of the present Convention, bind either all or any one of the territories subject to its sovereignty, jurisdiction or protection, provided that such territories are not situated in the special zones as defined in Article 12.

Any High Contracting Party which has made such a declaration may, subsequently, and in conformity with the provisions of Article 37, adhere entirely to the present Convention for any territories so excluded. Such High Contracting Party will use its best endeavours to ensure as soon as possible the accession of any territories so excluded.

Any High Contracting Party may also, as regards the application of the provisions of Chapter II and of Articles 13, 14 and 15 of the present Convention, and in conformity with the procedure laid down in Article 38, denounce the present Convention separately in respect of any territory referred to above.

Any High Contracting Party which shall have availed itself of the option of exclusion or of denunciation provided for in the preceding paragraphs undertakes to apply the provisions of Chapter II to consignments destined for territories in respect of which the option has been exercised.

Article 37

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

Each accession will be notified to the Government of the French Republic and by the latter to all the signatory or acceding States.

The instruments of accession shall remain deposited in the archives of the Government of the French Republic.

Article 38

The present Convention may be denounced by any High Contracting Party thereto after the expiration of four years from the date when it came into force in respect of that Party. Denunciation shall be effected by notification in writing addressed to the Government of the French Republic, which will forthwith transmit copies of such notification to the other Contracting Parties, informing them of the date on which it was received.

A denunciation shall take effect one year after the date of the receipt of the notification thereof by the Government of the French Republic and shall operate only in respect of the notifying State.

In case a denunciation has the effect of reducing the number of States parties to the Convention below fourteen, any of the remaining High Contracting Parties may also, within a period of one year from the date of such denunciation, denounce the Convention without waiting for the expiration of the period of four years mentioned above and may require that its denunciation shall take effect at the same date as the first-mentioned denunciation.

Article 39

The High Contracting Parties agree that, at the conclusion of a period of three years from the coming into force of the present Convention under the terms of Article 41, this Convention shall be subject to revision upon the request of one-third of the said High Contracting Parties addressed to the Government of the French Republic.

Article 40

The present Convention, of which the French and English texts are both authentic, is subject to ratification. It shall bear to-day’s date.

Each Power shall address its ratification to the Government of the French Republic, which will at once notify the deposit of ratification to each of the other signatory Powers.

The instruments of ratification will remain deposited in the archives of the Government of the French Republic.

Article 41

A first proces-verbal of the deposit of ratifications will be drawn up by the Government of the French Republic as soon as the present Convention shall have been ratified by fourteen Powers.

The Convention shall come into force four months after the date of the notification of this proces-verbal by the Government of the French Republic to all signatory Powers.

Subsequently, the Convention will come into force in respect of each High Contracting Party four months after the date on which its ratification or accession shall have been notified by the Government of the French Republic to all signatory or acceding States.

In witness whereof, the above-mentioned Plenipotentiaries have signed the present Convention.

Done at Geneva, in a single copy, this seventeenth day of June, One Thousand Nine Hundred and Twenty-Five.

• For Germany
  • H. von Eckardt
• For the United States of America
  • Theodore E. Burton
  • Hugh S. Gibson
• For Austria
  • E. Pflügl
• For Belgium

• For Brazil

  • Contre-Amiral A. C. de Souza e Silva
  • Major Estevao Leitão de Carvalho

  Brazil reserves the right, during the whole period of application of the present Convention, to execute it, in so far as she is concerned, in accordance with the spirit of the clauses which aim at rendering the supervision general both as regards the trade in and the manufacture of armaments.⁶⁷

• For the British Empire

  I declare that my signature does not bind India or any British Dominion which is a separate Member of the League of Nations and does not separately sign or adhere to the Convention.

  • Onslow
• For Canada
• For the Irish Free State
• For India
  • P. Z. Cox
• For Bulgaria
• For Chile
  • Général de Division Luis Cabrera
• For China
• For Colombia
• For Denmark
• For Egypt
• For Spain
  • Emilio de Palacios

• For Esthonia

  Subject to the suspension of the application of Articles 6 and 9 in virtue of the right accorded to Esthonia by Article 29.

  • Laidoner
• For Abyssinia
  • Guétatchou
  • Blata Herouy Herouy
  • A. Tasfae

• For Finland

  Subject to the suspension of the application of Articles 6 and 9 in virtue of the right accorded to Finland by Article 29.

  • O. Enckell
• For France
  • B. Clauzel
• For Greece
• For Hungary
  • Dr. Baranyai Zoltán
• For Italy
  • Pietro Chimienti
  • Alberto de Marinis-Stendardo
• For Japan
  • M. Matsuda

• For Latvia

  Subject to the suspension of the application of Articles 6 and 9 in virtue of the right accorded to Latvia by Article 29.

  • Colonel Hartmanis
• For Lithuania
• For Luxemburg
  • Ch. G. Vermaire
• For Nicaragua
• For Norway
• For Panama
• For the Netherlands
• For Persia
• For Poland

  Subject to the suspension of the application of Articles 6 and 9 in virtue of the right accorded to Poland by Article 29.

  • Général Casimir Sosnkowski
  • G. D. Morawski
• For Portugal

• For Roumania

  Ad referendum subject to the reservation provided for in Article 29 of the Convention to the effect that the application of Articles 6 and 9 as regards both export to and import into Roumania by the High Contracting Parties shall be suspended until the adhesion of Russia to the present Convention and to its Annexes.

  • N. P. Comnene
  • Général T. Dumitrescu
• For Salvador
  • J. Gustavo Guerrero
• For Siam
• For Sweden
• For Switzerland
• For the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
  • J. Doutchitch
  • Général Kalafatovitch
  • Capt. d. frég. Mariasevitch
• For Czechoslovakia
  • Dr. Veverka, Ferdinand
• For Turkey
• For Uruguay
• For Venezuela

Annex I

Statistical Forms

form i

Imports¹ into . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (name of importing country) during the . . . . . . . . . . quarter of 19. .

Description2 of arms and ammunition and implements of war according to the headings in attached schedule.	Countries of Origin							Total
	A3				Z3
	No. of articles	Weight	Declared value4		No. of articles	Weight	Declared value4	No. of articles	Weight	Declared value4
Totals

Explanatory Notes

form ii

Exports and Re-exports¹ from . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . (name of exporting country) during the . . . . . . . . . . quarter of 19. .

Description2 of arms and ammunition and implements of war according to the headings in attached schedule.	Countries of Destination							Total
	A3				Z3
	No. of articles	Weight	Declared value4		No. of articles	Weight	Declared value4	No. of articles	Weight	Declared value4
Total

Explanatory Notes

Schedule

category i. arms, ammunition and implements of war exclusively designed and intended for land, sea or aerial warfare

Arms and ammunition and implements exclusively designed and intended for land, sea or aerial warfare, which are, or shall be, comprised in the armament of the armed forces of any State, or which, if they have been, are no longer comprised in such armament but are capable of military to the exclusion of any other use, except such arms, ammunition and implements which, though included in the above definition, are covered in other categories.

Such arms, ammunition and implements are comprised in the following twelve headings:

1. Rifles, muskets, carbines (number).

2. (a) Machine-guns, automatic rifles and machine-pistols of all calibres (number);

(b) Mountings for machine-guns (number);

(c) Interrupter gears (number).

3. Projectiles and ammunition for the arms enumerated in Nos. 1 and 2 above (number).

4. Gun-sighting apparatus including aerial gun-sights and bombsights, and fire-control apparatus (number).

5. (a) Cannon, long or short, and howitzers, of a calibre less than 5.9 inches (15 cm.) (number);

(b) Cannon, long or short, and howitzers, of a calibre of 5.9 inches (15 cm.) or above (number);

(c) Mortars of all kinds (number);

(d) Gun carriages (number), mountings (number), recuperators (number), accessories for mountings (weight).

6. Projectiles and ammunition for the arms enumerated in No. 5 above (number).

7. Apparatus for the discharge of bombs, torpedoes, depth charges and other kinds of projectiles (number).

8. (a) Grenades (number);

(b) Bombs (number);

(c) Land mines, submarine mines, fixed or floating, depth charges (number);

(d) Torpedoes (number).

9. Appliances for use with the above arms and apparatus (number).

10. Bayonets (number).

11. Tanks and armoured cars (number).

12. Arms and ammunition not specified in the above enumeration (number or weight).

Component parts, completely finished, of the articles covered by the above headings, if capable of being utilised only in the assembly or repair of the said articles, or as spare parts, should be entered separately, by weight, under each of the above headings or subheadings to which they belong.

category ii. arms and ammunition capable of use both for military and other purposes

1. Pistols and revolvers, automatic or self-loading, and developments of the same, designed for single-handed use or fired from the shoulder, of a calibre greater than 6.5 mm. and length of barrel greater than 10 cm. (number).

2. Fire-arms designed, intended or adapted for non-military purposes, such as sport or personal defence, that will fire cartridges that can be fired from fire-arms in Category I. Other rifled fire-arms, firing from the shoulder of a calibre of 6 mm. or above not included in Category I, with the exception of rifled fire-arms with a “breakdown” action (number).

3. Ammunition for the arms enumerated in the above two headings, with the exception of ammunition covered by Category I (number).

4. Swords and lances (number).

Component parts, completely finished, of the articles covered by the above headings, if capable of being utilised only in the assembly or repair of the said articles, or as spare parts, should be entered separately, by weight, under each of the above headings or sub-headings to which they belong.

Annex II

Supervision Within the Special Zones

Section I. Supervision on Land

§ 1

All articles covered by Categories I, II, IV and V admitted into the territory of a State, colony, protectorate or mandated territory situated in the special zones, except such articles imported by individuals for their personal use under an authorisation issued by the authorities of the territory concerned, shall be deposited by the importer at his own expense and risk in a public warehouse maintained under the exclusive custody and permanent supervision of the authorities aforesaid or their officials, of whom at least one must be a member of their armed forces, and who shall keep an official record of such deposit.

Every withdrawal from a public warehouse must be authorised beforehand by such authorities. No such authorisation shall be given except for the purposes of transfer to another public warehouse or to a private warehouse duly approved by the said authorities or for delivery to individuals who have proved to the satisfaction of the said authorities that the articles are necessary to them for their personal use.

Articles required for the equipment of the national forces or for the defence of the territory are exempted from all formalities in connection with deposit in or withdrawal from a public warehouse.

§ 2

No private warehouse for articles covered by Categories I, II, IV and V shall be allowed within the special zones unless authorised by the authorities of the State, colony, protectorate, or mandated territory. Such warehouse must consist of enclosed premises, reserved for that purpose and having only one entry, which must be fitted with two locks, one of which can be opened only by officials of the authorities.

The person in charge of the warehouse shall be responsible for all such articles deposited therein and must account for them on demand by the authorities.

Such articles must not be withdrawn from the warehouse nor be transported or transferred without a special authorisation. The particulars entered on such authorisations shall be noted in a special register numbered and initialled.

Every arm imported under the provisions of § 1 by an individual for his personal use or transferred under the provisions of the same § from a public warehouse to a private warehouse or a private individual must be registered. A mark shall be stamped thereon if it does not already bear another mark or a number sufficient for identification. The mark or number shall be noted in the licence to carry arms issued by the authorities.

§ 3

The manufacture or assembly within the special zones of articles covered by Categories I, II, IV and V is prohibited otherwise than in establishments instituted for the defence of the territory or maintenance of public order by the authorities of the territory concerned, or in the case of mandated territory by such authorities under the supervision of the mandatory Power.

The repair of such articles shall only be carried out in establishments instituted by the authorities or in private establishments which shall have been authorised for this purpose by the said authorities. Such authorisation shall not be granted without guarantees for the observance of the rules of the present Convention.

Section II. Maritime Supervision

§ 1

Cargoes of articles covered by Categories I, II, IV and V shipped on board the lighters, barges or coasting vessels referred to in Article 20, paragraph 3, must be covered by a special licence issued by the authorities of the State, colony, protectorate or mandated territory in which such cargoes are shipped, and containing the particulars specified in § 2 hereof. All articles so shipped shall in addition be subject to the provisions of the present Convention.

§ 2

Special licences referred to in § 1 of Section II of the present Annex shall contain the following particulars:

(a) A statement of the nature and quantity of the articles in respect of which the licence is issued.

(b) The name of the vessel on which the cargoes are to be shipped.

(c) The name of the ultimate consignee.

(d) The ports of loading and discharge.

It shall be certified on such licences that they have been issued in conformity with the provisions of the present Convention.

§ 3

An authorisation to fly the flag of a High Contracting Party may only be granted by the authorities mentioned in paragraph (b) below, and subject to the three following conditions:

(a) The owners must be nationals of the Power whose flag they claim to fly or companies who are nationals under the laws of that Power.

(b) The owners must have furnished proof that they are bona fide owners of real estate in the territory of the authorities to whom the application for a licence is addressed, or have given to such authorities sufficient guarantees for the payment of any fines to which they may become liable.

(c) The owners and the captain of the vessel must have furnished proof that they enjoy a good reputation and, in particular, that they have never been convicted of illicit conveyance of arms or ammunition or implements of war.

§ 4

All native vessels before they are authorised to fly the flag of a High Contracting Party shall have complied with the following regulations for the purpose of their identification at sea:

(a) The initial letters of the port of registration of the native vessel, followed by the vessel’s registration number in the serial port numbers, must be incised and painted in white on black ground on both quarters of each vessel in such a position as to be easily distinguishable from a distance.

(b) The net tonnage of the native vessel shall also, if practicable, be incised and painted inside the hull in a conspicuous position.

§ 5

The regulations referred to in Article 24 of the present Convention are as follows:

1. When a warship belonging to one of the High Contracting Parties encounters within the maritime zone but outside territorial waters a presumed native vessel of under 500 tons burden (net tonnage),

(a) Flying the flag of one of the High Contracting Parties, or

(b) Flying no flag,

and the Commanding Officer of the warship has good reason to believe that the said vessel is flying the flag of any High Contracting Party without being entitled to do so, or is illicitly conveying articles covered by Categories I, II, IV and V, he may proceed to stop the vessel in order to verify the nationality of the vessel by examining the document authorising the flying of the flag, but no other document.

2. Any vessel which presents the appearance of native build and rig may be presumed to be a native vessel.

3. For the purpose of verifying the nationality of the suspected vessel, a boat commanded by a commissioned officer in uniform may be sent to visit the vessel after she has been hailed so as 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 proces-verbal in the form and language in use in his own country. This proces-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 a warrant, petty or non-commissioned officer at the discretion of the Commanding Officer.

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

4. In the cases referred to in paragraph 1 (a) hereof, unless the right to fly the flag can be established, the vessel may be conducted to the nearest port in the maritime zone where there is a competent authority of the Power whose flag has been flown and shall be handed over to such authority, but if such a port should be at such a distance from the point of detention that the warship would have to leave her station or patrol to escort the detained vessel thereto, 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 handed over to such authority, and steps shall at once be taken to notify this fact 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 authority from such representative.

Instead of conducting the suspected vessel to a port as laid down above, the Commanding Officer of the detaining warship may hand her over to a warship of the nation whose flag she has flown if the latter consents to take charge of her.

5. The procedure laid down in paragraph 4 may also be followed if, after the verification of the flag and in spite of the voluntary production of the manifest, the Commanding Officer of the warship continues to suspect the vessel of engaging in the illicit conveyance of articles covered by Categories I, II, IV and V.

6. In the cases referred to in paragraph 1 (b) hereof, if it is ascertained, as a result of the visit made on board the vessel that, whereas it flew no flag, it was also not entitled to fly the flag of a recognised State, the vessel may, unless the innocent nature of her cargo can be duly established to the satisfaction of the Commanding Officer of the warship, be conducted to the nearest point in the maritime zone where there is a competent authority of the Power to which the detaining warship belongs, and shall be handed over to such authority.

7. The authority before whom the suspected vessel has been brought shall institute a full enquiry in accordance with the laws and regulations of his country and in conformity with the procedure laid down in paragraph 8 below.

This enquiry shall be carried out in the presence of an officer of the detaining warship.

If, however, the presence of such officer is impracticable owing to the duties upon which the warship is engaged, an affidavit sworn by the Commanding Officer may in special cases be accepted by the authority holding the enquiry in place of the oral evidence of an officer of the warship.

8. (a) In the case of vessels referred to in paragraph 1 (a) above, if it is proved at this enquiry that the flag has been illegally flown, but that the vessel is entitled to fly the flag of a recognised State, she shall, if that State is one of the High Contracting Parties, be handed over to the nearest authority of that State. If such State is not a High Contracting Party, the vessel shall be disposed of by agreement between the State responsible for her detention and the State whose flag she is entitled to fly, and, pending such agreement, shall remain in the custody of the authorities of the nationality of the detaining warship.

(b) 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 articles covered by Categories I, II, IV and V, 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 conducting the enquiry. The illicit cargo may be destroyed in accordance with laws and regulations drawn up for the purpose.

(c) In the case of vessels referred to in paragraph 1 (b) above, if it be established that the vessel had the right to fly the flag of one of the High Contracting Parties but was engaged in the illicit conveyance of any of the articles covered by Categories I, II, IV and V, the procedure laid down in the preceding paragraph should be followed.

(d) In the case of vessels referred to in paragraph 1 (b) above, if it be established that the vessel was not entitled to fly the flag of any of the High Contracting Parties and was engaged in the illicit conveyance of any of the articles covered by Categories I, II, IV and V, the vessel and all cargo carried in addition to these articles shall be seized by such authorities and disposed of according to the national laws and regulations of the authorities before whom the vessel has been brought. The destruction of this cargo may be ordered according to the same laws and regulations.

(e) If the authority entrusted with the enquiry decides that the detention and diversion of the vessel or other measures imposed upon her were irregular, he shall assess the amount of the compensation which he considers to be due.

9. If the decision and assessment of the said authority are accepted by the detaining officer and the authorities to whom he is subject, the amount awarded shall be paid within six months from the date of the said assessment.

10. If the detaining officer, or the authorities to whom he is subject, contest the decision or the amount of the compensation assessed, 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 detaining 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. Any compensation awarded shall be paid to the persons concerned within six months at most from the date of the award of the court.

11. The Commanding Officer of a warship who may have stopped 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 proces-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 Government whose flag the detained vessel was flying and to such of the High Contracting Parties as may have expressed the desire to receive such documents.

[Enclosure 2]

Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, Signed at Geneva, June 17, 1925⁶⁸

The Undersigned Plenipotentiaries, in the name of their respective Governments:

Whereas the use in war of asphyxiating, poisonous or other gases, and of all analogous liquids, materials or devices, has been justly condemned by the general opinion, of the civilised world; and

Whereas the prohibition of such use has been declared in Treaties to which the majority of the Powers of the World are Parties; and

To the end that this prohibition shall be universally accepted as a part of International Law, binding alike the conscience and the practice of nations;

Declare:

That the High Contracting Parties, so far as they are not already Parties to Treaties prohibiting such use, accept this prohibition, agree to extend this prohibition to the use of bacteriological methods of warfare and agree to be bound as between themselves according to the terms of this declaration.

The High Contracting Parties will exert every effort to induce other States to accede to the present Protocol. Such accession will be notified to the Government of the French Republic, and by the latter to all signatory and acceding Powers, and will take effect on the date of the notification by the Government of the French Republic.

The present Protocol, of which the French and English texts are both authentic, shall be ratified as soon as possible. It shall bear to-day’s date.

The ratifications of the present protocol shall be addressed to the Government of the French Republic, which will at once notify the deposit of such ratification to each of the signatory and acceding Powers.

The instruments of ratification of and accession to the present Protocol will remain deposited in the archives of the Government of the French Republic.

The present Protocol will come into force for each signatory Power as from the date of deposit of its ratification, and, from that moment, each Power will be bound as regards other Powers which have already deposited their ratifications.

In witness whereof the Plenipotentiaries have signed the present Protocol.

Done at Geneva in a single copy, this seventeenth day of June, One Thousand Nine Hundred and Twenty-Five.

• For Germany
  • H. von Eckardt
• For the United States of America
  • Theodore E. Burton
  • Hugh S. Gibson
• For Austria
• For Belgium
• For Brazil
  • Contre–Amiral A. C. de Souza e Silva
  • Major Estevão Leitão de Carvalho

• For the British Empire

  I declare that my signature does not bind India or any British Dominion which is a separate Member of the League of Nations & does not separately sign or adhere to the Protocol.

  • Onslow
• For Canada
  • Walter A. Riddell
• For the Irish Free State
• For India
  • P. Z. Cox
• For Bulgaria
• For Chile
  • Luis Cabrera
    Général de Division
• For China
• For Colombia
• For Denmark
  • A. Oldenburg
• For Egypt
• For Spain
  • Emilio de Palacios
• For Esthonia
  • J. Laidoner
• For Abyssinia
  • Guétatchou
  • Blata Herout Herouy
  • A. Tasfae
• For Finland
  • O. Enckell
• For France
  • J. Paul-Boncour
• For Greece
  • Vassili Dendramis
  • D. Vlachopoulos
• For Hungary
• For Italy
  • Pietro Chimienti
  • Alberto de Marinis-Stendardo
• For Japan
  • M. Matsuda
• For Latvia
  • Colonel Hartmanis
• For Lithuania
• For Luxemburg
  • Ch. G. Vermaire
• For Nicaragua
  • A. Sottile
• For Norway
• For Panama
• For the Netherlands
  • W. Doude van Troostwijk
  • W. Guerin
• For Persia
• For Poland
  • Général Casimir Sosnkowski
  • G. D. Morawski
• For Portugal
  • A. M. Bartholomeu Ferreira
  • Americo da Costa Leme
• For Roumania
  • Ad referendum
    • N. P. Comnene
    • Général T. Dumitrescu
• For Salvador
  • J. Gustavo Guerrero
• For Siam
• For Sweden
• For Switzerland
  • Sous réserve de ratification:
    • Lohner
    • Ed. Müller
• For the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes
  • J. Doutchitch
  • Général Kalafatovitch
  • Capt. d. frég. Mariasevitch
• For Czechoslovakia
• For Turkey
  • M. Tevfik
• For Uruguay
  • Enrique E. Buero
• For Venezuela

62. Not printed.
63. For texts of the convention and of the protocol concerning gases, see enclosures 1 and 2, infra. The Declaration Regarding the Territory of Ifni was not signed by the American delegates. The final act enumerated the instruments drawn up at the Conference and declared: (1) That the governments the delegates of which signed it “have the firm intention of applying strictly their internal laws and regulations to prevent anything that might constitute a fraudulent commerce in arms within the meaning of the said laws and regulations, and to exchange with such Parties as may be concerned all information material for this purpose”; (2) that the convention signed June 17, 1925, “must be considered as an important step towards a general system of international agreements regarding arms and ammunition and implements of war, and that it is desirable that the international aspect of the manufacture of such arms, ammunition and implements of war should receive early consideration by the different Governments.” The protocol of signature provided that for the states enumerated in the preamble of the convention the period allowed for signature of the convention, the Declaration Regarding the Territory of Ifni, and the Protocol for the Prohibition of the Use in War of Asphyxiating, Poisonous or Other Gases, and of Bacteriological Methods of Warfare, should be any date prior to Sept. 30, 1926.
64. A copy of the authentic final text of the convention, together with the annexes, has been here substituted for the copy enclosed with despatch No. 471. This text is printed in League of Nations, Proceedings of the Conference for the Supervision of the International Trade in Arms, transmitted to the Department with despatch No. 544, Sept. 18, 1925, by the Chargé in Switzerland (file No. 500.A14/403).
65. In English and French: French text not printed. Consented to by the Senate, June 6, 1935, with the reservation that the convention should not come into effect for the United States until it had come into effect for Belgium, the British Empire, Czechoslovakia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Sweden, and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (Congressional Record, vol. 79, pt. 8, 74th Cong., 1st sess., pp. 8790–8796).
66. Bracketed expression appears in the original. However, as not all of the delegates participating in the conference were empowered to sign the convention, and as the protocol of signature left to the states the right of appointing the plenipotentiaries they wished to have sign the convention, the Secretariat of the League of Nations adopted the expedient of leaving blank the space for the names of the plenipotentiaries until Sept. 30, 1926, the date when the period reserved for signature terminated (undated note verbale from the League of Nations Bureau, French Foreign Office, enclosed in despatch No. 5584 from the Embassy in France, Oct. 6, 1925, file No. 500.A14/409).
67. All reservations, except that of Great Britain, are in French only. The translations here used appear as footnotes in Proceedings of the Conference.

1. The imports included in this table shall be the general imports of arms and ammunition and of implements of war set out in the attached schedule, arriving from abroad, i. e., the total of the goods imported for home consumption, into warehouse, free zones, free ports and all other places excluded from the Customs territory, also temporary imports, improvement trade, etc., but excluding goods for transit or transhipment.

   When temporary warehousing pending transit or transhipment is permitted, arms and ammunition and implements of war arriving under these conditions shall not be considered as imports, provided that the consignments are accompanied by a licence or similar document mentioned in Article 4 of the present Convention showing some other country as destination.

2. Arms and ammunition and implements of war covered by Category I shall be tabled separately from those in Category II.
3. Name of country which issued the licence or similar document mentioned in Article 4 of the present Convention. But when the goods come from a Colony or Dependency, not issuing licences in its own name, but having an autonomous Customs system, such colony or dependency shall be shown as the country of origin.
3. Name of country which issued the licence or similar document mentioned in Article 4 of the present Convention. But when the goods come from a Colony or Dependency, not issuing licences in its own name, but having an autonomous Customs system, such colony or dependency shall be shown as the country of origin.
4. In legal currency of the importing country. In cases where the values are the result of conversion on a gold standard basis, this fact should be expressly mentioned in the heading of this column. In all cases the value shall be shown, except in the case of samples referred to in Article 3, paragraph 3, of the Convention when it is not obligatory.
4. In legal currency of the importing country. In cases where the values are the result of conversion on a gold standard basis, this fact should be expressly mentioned in the heading of this column. In all cases the value shall be shown, except in the case of samples referred to in Article 3, paragraph 3, of the Convention when it is not obligatory.
4. In legal currency of the importing country. In cases where the values are the result of conversion on a gold standard basis, this fact should be expressly mentioned in the heading of this column. In all cases the value shall be shown, except in the case of samples referred to in Article 3, paragraph 3, of the Convention when it is not obligatory.

1. The exports and re-exports included in this table shall be the general exports and re-exports of arms and ammunition and implements of war set out in the attached schedule leaving for abroad, i. e., the total of the goods exported and re-exported from the internal market from warehouse, free zones, free ports and all other places excluded from the Customs territory, also temporary exports and re-exports, improvement trade, etc., but excluding goods for transit or transhipment.

   When temporary warehousing pending transit or transhipment is permitted, the arms and ammunition and implements of war arriving under these conditions shall not be considered as imports provided that the consignments are accompanied by a licence or similar document mentioned in Article 4 of the present Convention showing some other country as destination.

2. Arms and ammunition and implements of war covered by Category I shall be tabled separately from those in Category II.
3. Country in whose favour the licence or similar document mentioned in Article 4 of the present Convention has been issued. In the case of an application by a mother-country on behalf of a Colony or Dependency having an autonomous Customs regime, such Colony or Dependency should be shown as country of destination.
3. Country in whose favour the licence or similar document mentioned in Article 4 of the present Convention has been issued. In the case of an application by a mother-country on behalf of a Colony or Dependency having an autonomous Customs regime, such Colony or Dependency should be shown as country of destination.
4. In legal currency of the exporting country. In cases where the values are the result of conversion on a gold standard basis, this fact should be expressly mentioned in the title of this column. In all cases value shall be shown, except in the case of samples referred to in Article 3, paragraph 3, of the Convention when it is not obligatory.
4. In legal currency of the exporting country. In cases where the values are the result of conversion on a gold standard basis, this fact should be expressly mentioned in the title of this column. In all cases value shall be shown, except in the case of samples referred to in Article 3, paragraph 3, of the Convention when it is not obligatory.
4. In legal currency of the exporting country. In cases where the values are the result of conversion on a gold standard basis, this fact should be expressly mentioned in the title of this column. In all cases value shall be shown, except in the case of samples referred to in Article 3, paragraph 3, of the Convention when it is not obligatory.
68. In English and French; French text not printed. Submitted to the Senate by the President on Jan. 12, 1926; at the time of publication of this volume, the Senate’s advice and consent to ratification had not been given.