provisions and storehouses, intended to constitute a chain of relay posts. Each of these tracts, the length of which along the river at high water shall be at most 500 metres, shall have an area which shall not exceed fifty hectares. The location of these tracts shall be determined in accordance with the local conditions. If, in the future, the French Government should desire to establish between the Bénoué and the Logone, above or below Mayo-Kébi, a highway or a railroad, the Imperial Government shall not interfere. The French Government and the German Government shall come to an agreement as to the conditions under which this work might be carried out. ARTICLE 9. France and Germany, desiring to strengthen their good relations in their possessions in Central Africa, agree not to construct any fortified place along the river courses, which shall be open to both countries for purposes of navigation. This stipulation shall not apply to forts whose sole object is to protect the posts against the attacks of the natives. ARTICLE 10. The French and German Governments will come to an agreement regarding the works to be carried out with the object of facilitating the traffic of boats and small craft over the water courses, the navigation of which will be common to the two governments. ARTICLE 11. In case the navigation of the Congo or of the Ubangui should be closed, the right of passage shall be assured to France and to Germany over the territories belonging to the other nation at points where these territories touch those rivers. ARTICLE 12. The Governments of France and Germany renew the declarations contained in the Act of Berlin of February 26, 1885, which assure commercial freedom and liberty of navigation on the Congo and the tributaries of that river, as well as on those of the Niger. Therefore, German goods passing across French territory situated west of the Ubangui, and French goods passing across the territories ceded to Germany or following the routes indicated in Article 8 will be exempt from all duties. An agreement to be entered into between the two governments shall determine the conditions of this passage and the points of entry. ARTICLE 13. The German Government shall place no obstacle to the passage of French troops, of their arms or baggage, or of their provisions through the Congo, Ubangui, Bénoué, Mayo-Kébi, as well as over the railroad. which might be built later in the north of Kamerun. The French Government shall place no obstacle to the passage of German troops, of their arms or baggage, or of their provisions through Congo, Ubangui, Bénoué, Mayo-Kébi, as well as over the railroad which may be constructed later from the seacoast to Brazzaville. In either case, the troops, if composed wholly of natives, shall always be accompanied by an European officer, and the government across whose territory the troops pass shall take all the necessary measures to avoid any obstacle being placed to their passage, and shall, at need, delegate an agent to accompany them. The local authorities will regulate the conditions. under which the passage of troops shall be effected. ARTICLE 14. Equality of treatment in the transport of persons or of goods shall be accorded to the citizens of both nations over the railways of Congo and Kamerun respectively. ARTICLE 15. The French Government and the German Government, beginning with the day of the reciprocal cession of the territories made to Germany by France and to France by Germany, shall cease to exercise any kind of protection or authority over the natives of the territories ceded by them respectively. ARTICLE 16. In case the territorial statute fixing the conventional basin of the Congo, as defined by the Act of Berlin of February 26, 1885, should happen to be modified by either of the contracting parties, they shall deliberate together concerning it and they shall also confer with the other signatory Powers of the said Act of Berlin in regard thereto. ARTICLE 17. The present convention shall be ratified and the ratifications exchanged at Paris as soon as possible. Done in duplicate at Berlin, November 4, 1911. Signed: KIDERLEN. Signed: JULES CAMBON. AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED KINGDOM AND GERMANY WITH REGARD TO SLEEPING SICKNESS.1 Signed at Berlin, August 17, 1911. With a view to the more effectual combating of the disease known as sleeping sickness in the Gold Coast Colony, the Ashanti Protectorate, the Northern Territories of the Gold Coast, and in Togoland, His Britannic Majesty's Government and the Imperial German Government have agreed as follows: The said governments shall 1. As far as the means at their disposal allow, cause the most thorough investigation to be made by expert medical officers into the extent of sleeping sickness in the colony and protectorates aforesaid; 2. Keep each other informed of the incidence, extent and possible spread of sleeping sickness in those dependencies; 3. Treat patients suffering from sleeping sickness and take preventive measures against the disease according to the means at the disposal of the local government's concerned; 4. Give instructions to their respective local authorities, that natives of one dependency found to be suffering from sleeping sickness in the other shall be treated free of cost in accordance with the arrangements made under § 3. 5. The two governments shall have the right to turn back at the frontiers of the above-mentioned dependencies native subjects of the other Power proved or suspected to be suffering from the disease. 6. The two governments shall have the right to impose such restrictions on the frontier traffic as may be deemed necessary to prevent the spread of sleeping sickness, but they undertake to communicate to one another without delay the terms of any restrictions so imposed. 7. This agreement comes into force on December 1, 1911. This agreement is concluded for a term of three years, and it will remain in force automatically for further periods of one year until denounced by one of the parties six months before the expiration of that year. Done in duplicate at Berlin, the 17th August, 1911. (L. S.) W. E. GOSCHEN. 1 Great Britain Treaty Series, No. 22, 1911. ULTIMATUM FROM ITALY TO TURKEY REGARDING TRIPOLI.1 September 28, 1911. Throughout a long series of years the Italian Government has never ceased to represent to the Porte the absolute necessity that the state of disorder and neglect in which Tripoli and Cyrenaica are left by Turkey should come to an end, and that these regions should be allowed to enjoy the same progress as that attained by other parts of Northern Africa. This transformation, which is required by the general exigencies of civilization, constitutes, so far as Italy is concerned, a vital interest of the very first order, by reason of the small distance separating these countries from the coasts of Italy. Notwithstanding the attitude maintained by the Italian Government, which has always loyally accorded its support to the Imperial Government on the different political questions of recent times, notwithstanding the moderation and patience displayed by the Italian Government hitherto, not only have its views in regard to Tripoli been misunderstood by the Imperial Government, but what is more, all enterprises on the part of Italians, in the aforesaid regions, constantly encounter a systematic opposition of the most obstinate and unwarranted kind. The Imperial Government, which has thus up to now displayed constant hostility towards all legitimate Italian activity in Tripoli and Cyrenaica, quite recently, at the eleventh hour, proposed to the Royal Government to come to an understanding, declaring itself disposed to grant any economic concession compatible with the treaties in force and with the higher dignity and interests of Turks; but the Royal Government does not now feel itself in a position to enter upon such negotiations, the uselessness of which is demonstrated by past experience, and which, far from constituting a guarantee for the future, could but afford a permanent cause of friction and conflict. On the other hand, information received by the Royal Government from its consular agents in Tripoli and Cyrenaica represents the situation there as extremely dangerous on account of the agitation prevailing against Italian subjects, which is very obviously fomented by officers and other organs of the authorities. This agitation constitutes an imminent danger not only to Italian subjects but also to foreigners of any nationality who, justly perturbed and anxious for their safety, have com 1 London Times, Sept. 29, 1911. menced to embark and are leaving Tripoli without delay. The arrival at Tripoli of Ottoman military transports, the serious consequences of the sending of which the Royal Government had not failed to point out previously to the Ottoman Government, cannot but aggravate the situation and impress on the Royal Government the strict and absolute obligation of providing against the perils resulting therefrom. The Italian Government, therefore, finding itself forced to think of the guardianship of its dignity and its interests, has decided to proceed to the military occupation of Tripoli and Cyrenaica. This solution is the only one Italy can decide upon, and the Royal Government expects that the Imperial Government will in consequence give orders so that it may meet with no opposition from the present Ottoman representatives, and that the measures which will be the necessary consequence may be effected without difficulty. Subsequent agreements would be made between the two governments to settle the definitive situation arising therefrom. The Royal Ambassador in Constantinople has orders to ask for a peremptory reply on this matter from the Ottoman Government within. twenty-four hours from the presentation of the present document, in default of which the Italian Government will be obliged to proceed to the immediate execution of the measures destined to ensure the occupation. Pray add that the reply of the Porte within the aforesaid limit of twenty-four hours must be communicated to us through the intermediary of the Turkish Embassy in Rome also. SAN GIULIANO. THE TURKISH REPLY TO ITALIAN ULTIMATUM REGARDING TRIPOLI. September 29, 1911. The Royal Embassy understands the many difficulties of the circumstances which made it impossible for Tripoli and Cyrenaica to share in the benefit of progress. An impartial examination of conditions does, in effect, suffice to establish that the constitutional Ottoman Government could not be held responsible for the existence of a situation created by the former régime. This being accepted, the Sublime Porte, in reviewing the course of events of the past three years seeks, but without avail, those circumstances in which it is claimed she has shown herself hostile to Italian enterprises relating to Tripoli and Cyrenaica. On the contrary, it has always appeared to her normal and reasonable that Italy should |