protection the Torreon disaster may be repeated here. All other foreigners much excited.

File No. 312.93/ 132a.

CHARLES L. MONTAGUE.

The Secretary of State to the Chinese Minister.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, October 28, 1915.

MY DEAR MR. MINISTER: Referring to previous correspondence in regard to the protection of Chinese interests in Mexico, I beg to inform you that the department is in receipt of two telegrams from its representative at Torreon, in which he states that the de facto Government of Mexico has informed him that, in matters concerning the interests of foreign Governments, it desires to deal directly with accredited representatives of those Governments.

I am [etc.]

ROBERT LANSING.

MOROCCO.

FRENCH PROTECTORATE IN MOROCCO.

PROTEST OF THE UNITED STATES AGAINST REMOVAL OF CERTAIN CASES FROM THE CIVIL TO THE FRENCH MILITARY COURTS.1

File No. 881.00/608.

No. 506.]

Chargé Blake to the Secretary of State.

AMERICAN LEGATION, Tangier, December 8, 1915. SIR: I have the honor to inform the Department that recently the French Consul at Mogador addressed to the American Consular A gent at that city a communication to the effect that the French Resident General, Commander-in-chief of the land and sea forces of France in Morocco, had decided that pending the duration of a state of siege which had been declared all infractions of the provisions of a Sultanic" dahir" of Ramadan 26, 1333 (August 10, 1915) concerning military requisitions, should be of the competency of the military courts, and that any infraction of the said dahir, even if the infractor should be a "resortissant" of a Power still retaining in the French Zone the privileges of the Capitulations, would be prosecuted by and before the French military authorities.

Copy of the communication above referred to was transmitted to me by the American Consular Agent at Mogador, but this is the only intimation received by the Legation of this disposition of the Residency General, which is in principle an infringement of our extraterritorial rights.

Copy and translation of the letter in question are herewith transmitted for the Department's information,

I have [etc.]

MAXWELL BLAKE.

[Inclosure Translation.]

The French Consul at Mogador to the American Consular Agent at Mogador.

FRENCH CONSULATE, Mogador, September 5, 1915.

SIR AND DEAR COLLEAGUE: I have the honor to inform you that by order dated August 18 last the Resident General, Commander-in-chief, decides that pending duration of the state of siege all infractions of the provisions of the Dahir of Ramadan 26, 1333 (August 10, 1915) concerning military requisitions should be of the competence of the military jurisdiction.

The civil jurisdictions, including the consular courts of Powers still retaining in the French Zone the privileges of the Capitulations, are in consequence deprived of the power to apply from a penal point of view the aforementioned dahir, and any infraction of this dahir, even if the infractor should be a

1 Continued from For. Rel. 1914, pp. 905-923.

resortissant of a Power which has not renounced the Capitulations, will be prosecuted by and before the military authorities.

While bringing these dispositions to your knowledge,

I beg that you accept [etc.]

File No. 881.00/608.

The Acting Secretary of State to Ambassador Sharp.

No. 793.]

J. LEBÉ.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, December 29, 1915. SIR: The Department herewith encloses to you a copy of a despatch dated December 8, No. 506, from the American Chargé at Tangier, relative to the decision of the French Resident General in Morocco that certain cases hitherto tried before the civil courts shall be tried before the French military courts, even in cases where the persons concerned are citizens of a capitulatory country.

In order to prevent any waiver by the United States of its rights in Morocco, you will call the attention of the French Government to this action of the French Resident General in Morocco and protest against it in so far as it affects citizens of the United States.

I am [etc.]

FRANK L. POLK.

NETHERLANDS.

ARBITRATION AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND THE NETHERLANDS EXTENDING THE DURATION OF THE CONVENTION OF MAY 2, 1908.

Signed at Washington, May 9, 1914; ratification advised by the Senate, May 20, 1914; ratified by the President, May 28, 1914; ratified by The Netherlands, July 10, 1915; ratifications exchanged at Washington, August 20, 1915; proclaimed, August 21, 1915.

Treaty Series No. 617.]

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas an Agreement between the United States of America and the Netherlands extending the duration of the Arbitration Convention signed on May 2, 1908, between the two countries, was concluded and signed by their respective Plenipotentiaries at Washington, on the ninth day of May, one thousand nine hundred and fourteen, the original of which Agreement, being in the English and Dutch languages, is word for word as follows:

The Government of the United States of America and Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands, being desirous of extending the period of five years during which the Convention of Arbitration, concluded between them on May 2, 1908, remained in force, which period has expired on March 25, 1914, have authorized the undersigned, to wit: The Honorable William Jennings Bryan, Secretary of State of the United States, and W. L. F. C. Ridder van Rappard, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands at Washington, to conclude the following Agree

ment:

ARTICLE I.

The Convention of Arbitration of May 2, 1908, between the Government of the United States of America and Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands, the duration of which by Article III thereof was fixed at a period of five years from the date of the exchange of ratifications, which period terminated on March 25, 1914, is hereby extended and continued in force for a further period of five years from March 25, 1914.

ARTICLE II.

The present Agreement shall be ratified by the President of the United States of America, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof, and by Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands, and it shall become effective upon the fourteenth day after the date

of the exchange of ratifications, which shall take place at Washington as soon as possible.

Done in duplicate in Washington, in the English and Dutch languages, this 9th day of May, one thousand nine hundred and fourteen. WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN [SEAL.] WLFCV RAPPARD

[SEAL.]

And whereas the said Agreement has been duly ratified on both parts, and the ratifications of the two Governments were exchanged in the City of Washington, on the twentieth day of August, one thousand nine hundred and fifteen;

Now, therefore, be it known that I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, have caused the said Agreement to be made public, to the end that the same and every article and clause thereof may be observed and fulfilled with good faith by the United States and the citizens thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done at the City of Washington this twenty-first day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and [SEAL.] fifteen, and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and fortieth.

By the President:

ROBERT LANSING,

Secretary of State.

WOODROW WILSON.

THIRD INTERNATIONAL OPIUM CONFERENCE 1: FINAL PROTOCOL. PROTOCOL OF RATIFICATION OF THE INTERNATIONAL OPIUM CONVENTION. PROCLAMATION OF THE CONVENTION BY THE

UNITED STATES.2

File No. 511.4A1/1439.

No. 73.]

The Secretary of State to Minister Van Dyke.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, January 13, 1915.

SIR: I enclose herewith a copy of a note from the Minister of the Netherlands at Washington announcing the opening at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs at The Hague of a protocol for signature by the plenipotentiaries of the Governments which have ratified the International Opium Convention. A translation of the protocol is also enclosed."

It appears from your No. 16 of December 10, 1913, that the President's instrument of ratification of this convention was on.that day deposited by you with the Government of the Netherlands. It would seem, therefore, necessary for you only to sign the protocol at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and you are instructed to do this. As

1 Continued from For. Rel. 1914, pp. 924.

2 See also International Conventions.

For. Rel. 1914, p. 925.

For. Rel. 1913, p. 283.