tained or imposed as sanitary measures or for the purpose of protecting animals and useful plants. VII. Articles, the produce or manufacture of the territories of one of the High Contracting Parties passing in transit through the territories of the other, in conformity with the laws of the country, shall be reciprocally free from all transit duties, whether they pass direct, or whether during transit they are unloaded, warehoused, and reloaded. VIII. The subjects or citizens of each of the High Contracting Parties shall enjoy in the territories of the other, a perfect equality of treatment with native subjects or citizens in all that relates to the facilities for warehousing, bounties, and drawbacks. IX. No internal duties levied for the benefit of the State, local authorities, or corporations which affect, or may affect, the production, manufacture, or consumption of any article in the territories of either of the High Contracting Parties, shall for any reason be a higher or more burdensome charge on articles, the produce or manufacture of the territories of the other, than on similar articles of any other foreign origin. X. Joint-stock companies and other commercial, industrial, and financial companies and associations domiciled in the territories of one of the High Contracting Parties, and having legal existence according to the laws in force of such Party, shall be recognized as having legal existence in the territories of the other, and authorized to appear in Court as plaintiffs and defendants, according to the laws of that other Party. Their admission to the pursuit of their industry or their commerce as well as to acquisition of property in the territories of the other Party, shall be dependent upon the laws of the country. In any case, the said companies and associations shall enjoy in these territories the same rights as those which are or may be granted to the similar companies or associations of the most favoured nation. XI. Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Treaty, the High Contracting Parties agree that, in all that concerns commerce and industry, any privilege, favour, or immunity which either Contracting Party has actually granted, or may hereafter grant, to the subjects or citizens of any other State, shall be extended to the subjects or citizens of the other Contracting Party gratuitously, if the concession in favour of that other State shall have been gratuitous, and on the same or equivalent conditions if the concession shall have been conditional. XII. The provisions of the present treaty shall not apply to any special advantages which are or may be granted by either of the High Contracting Parties to contiguous States to facilitate frontier traffic, but which are not granted to any other foreign country. XIII. The present treaty shall enter into operation after the lapse of seven days ensuing the exchange of ratifications, and shall remain in force for the period of ten years. In case neither of the High Contracting Parties shall have given notice to the other twelve months before the expiration of the said period of ten years of its intention to terminate the treaty, it shall continue operative until the expiration of twelve months from the date on which either Party shall have given such notice. XIV. The present treaty shall be ratified as soon as possible by the two High Contracting Parties, and the ratifications shall be exchanged at Santiago, Chile. In witness whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed this treaty and hereunto affixed their respective seals. Done in duplicate at La Paz, this 13th day of the 4th month of the 3rd year of Taisho, corresponding to the 13th day of April of the year 1914. (L.S.) EKI HIOKI. (L.S.) J. CUPERTINO ARTEAGA. EXCHANGE OF NOTES between Brazil and Italy prolonging until December 31, 1917, the Commercial Modus Vivendi between the two Countries established by the Exchange of Notes of July 5, 1900.-Rio de Janeiro, June 18 and August 14, 1915. No. 1.—The Italian Minister at Rio de Janeiro to the Brazilian Minister for Foreign Affairs. (Translation.) M. LE MINISTRE, Rio de Janeiro, June 18, 1915. As your Excellency knows, the last prolongation of the Provisional Agreement which has regulated the commercial relations between Italy and Brazil from 1900 up to the present time terminates on the 31st December next. His Majesty's Government has therefore authorized me to communicate to the Federal Government that it is prepared to agree that the situation based on the notes exchanged on the 5th July, 1900,* in Rio de Janeiro, between the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs and His Majesty's Legation, should be prolonged till the 31st December, 1917, with the same temporary character, and the same intention of enabling a definite agreement to be arrived at between the two countries. I should be grateful if your Excellency would be good enough to inform me of the decision of the Federal Government in this matter, and should it be, as I hope, in conformity with that of His Majesty's Government, I would ask you to be good enough also to confirm to me whether the modus vivendi of the 5th July, 1900, is considered as being prolonged by the present exchange * Vol. C, page 807. of notes until the above-mentioned date of the 31st December, 1917, whereby the import duties on Brazilian coffee in Italy are fixed at 130 lire per 100 kilog., and the Italian products imported into the territory of the Republic enjoy the minimum rates of the Brazilian customs tariff. I avail, &c. To His Excellency Dr. Lauro Müller, LUIGI MERCATELLI. Minister of State for Foreign Affairs. No. 2.-The Brazilian Minister for Foreign Affairs to the Italian Minister at Rio de Janeiro. (Translation.) M. LE MINISTRE, Rio de Janeiro, August 14, 1915. In reply to the note which your Excellency addressed to me on the 18th June last, I have the honour to inform you, duly authorized thereto by the President of the Republic, that the Federal Government agrees that the Provisional Commercial Agreement arising out of the notes exchanged on the 5th July, 1900, between the Ministry and the Legation, should remain in force until the 31st December, 1917. The Provisional Agreement between the two countries is therefore prolonged, and in consequence of this prolongation Italian products will continue to enjoy the minimum Brazilian tariff until the 31st December, 1917, provided that the import duty on Brazilian coffee in Italy does not exceed 130 lire per 100 kilog. To His Excellency M. Luigi Marcatelli, I avail, &c. LAURO MÜLLER. Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary TREATY between Brazil and the United States for the Settlement of Disputes by a Permanent International Commission.-Washington, July 24, 1914.* [Ratifications exchanged at Washington, October 28, 1916.] THE Governments of the United States of America and of Brazil being desirous of giving another manifestation of the old "United States Treaty Series," No. 627. Signed also in the Portuguese language. friendship that binds the two countries together, and being united in the purpose of promoting the progress of civilization through peace, have resolved to enter into a special Treaty for the amicable settlement of any future difficulties which may arise between the two countries, and for that purpose have appointed as their Plenipotentiaries: The President of the United States of America: Mr. William Jennings Bryan, Secretary of State; and The President of the United States of Brazil: Senhor Domicio da Gama, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary; Who, duly authorized, have agreed upon the following Articles: ART. I. The two High Contracting Parties agree to submit to a Permanent International Commission, for investigation and report, all disputes that may arise between them concerning questions of an international character which cannot be solved by direct diplomatic negotiation, and which are not embraced by the terms of any treaty of arbitration in force between them; and they agree not to declare war or to begin hostilities pending the investigation and report of the said Commission. II. The Commission mentioned in the preceding Article shall be composed of five members, each appointed for five years, as follows: Each Government shall designate two members, only one of whom shall be of its own nationality. The fifth member shall be chosen by common agreement between the two Governments, it being understood that he shall not belong to any of the nationalities already represented in the Commission. The fifth member shall perform the duties of president. Either Contracting Party may remove at any time, before investigation begins, any commissioner selected by it, appointing his successor on the same occasion. Likewise, each Government shall also have the right to withdraw its approval of the fifth member, in which case the new fifth member will be appointed within thirty days following the notification of the withdrawal, by common agreement between the two Governments; and failing this agreement, the President of the Swiss Confederation shall be requested to make the appointment. The expenses of the Commission shall be paid by the two Governments in equal proportions. The Commission shall be constituted and shall be ready for business within six months after the exchange of ratifications of the present Treaty. At the expiration of each period of five years the Commissioners may be reappointed or others may be substituted for them. Any vacancy shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment. The Commission shall make its own rules of procedure. III. In the case of failure to agree upon the diplomatic solution of a dispute concerning a question of an international character, the two High Contracting Parties shall submit it to the said Commission for investigation and report. The convocation of the Commission may be made by either contracting Government. The Commission shall by preference sit in the country in which there are the greater facilities for the study of the question, and the High Contracting Parties shall furnish all the means to that end. The report of the Commission shall be presented within a year counted from the date at which the Commission shall declare that its work is begun, unless a prolongation of the time shall be accorded by both parties. This report, which is purely advisory and does not bind the Contracting Parties as to the question at issue, shall be prepared in triplicate, each Government being furnished with a copy and the third kept in the files of the Commission. IV. After presentation of the report to both Governments, six months' time will be given for renewed negotiations in order to bring about a solution of the question in view of the findings of the said report; and if after this new term both Governments should be unable to reach a friendly arrangement, they will proceed to submit the dispute to arbitration under the terms of the Convention in force between them, if such Convention covers the question or questions investigated. V. The present Treaty shall be ratified by the two High Contracting Parties according to their national Constitutions, and the ratifications shall be exchanged as soon as possible. It shall take effect immediately after the exchange of ratifications, and shall continue in force for a period of five years, and it shall thereafter remain in force until twelve months after one of the two High Contracting Parties has given notice to the other of an intention to terminate it. The strict and honest fulfilment of the foregoing clauses is entrusted to the honour of the signatory nations. In witness whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the present Treaty and have affixed thereunto their seals. Done in Washington on the 24th day of July, in the year 1914. (L.S.) WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN. (L.S.) DOMICIO DA GAMA. CONVENTION between Bulgaria and Turkey for the Rectification of the Frontier between the two Countries.—Sofia, August 24 (September 6), 1915. SA Majesté le Roi des Bulgares et Sa Majesté l'Empereur des Ottomans, animés du désir de resserrer encore davantage les liens d'amitié qui unissent le Royaume de Bulgarie et |