AGREEMENT between Great Britain and Germany, relative to China. Signed at London, October 16, 1900. No. 1.-The Marquess of Salisbury to Count Hatzfeldt. YOUR EXCELLENCY, Foreign Office, October 16, 1900. I HAVE the honour to inform you that Her Majesty's Government approve the Agreement, annexed hereto, which has been negotiated between your Excellency and myself with regard to the principles on which the mutual policy of Great Britain and Germany in China should be based. I have, &c., SALISBURY. (Inclosure.)-Agreement signed on the 16th October, 1900. HER Britannic Majesty's Government and the Imperial German Government being desirous to maintain their interests in China and their rights under existing Treaties, have agreed to observe the following principles in regard to their mutual policy in China: 1. It is a matter of joint and permanent international interest that the ports on the rivers and littoral of China should remain free and open to trade and to every other legitimate form of economic activity for the nationals of all countries without distinction; and the two Governments agree on their part to uphold the same for all Chinese territory as far as they can exercise influence. 2. Her Britannic Majesty's Government and the Imperial German Government will not, on their part, make use of the present complication to obtain for themselves any territorial advantages in Chinese dominions, and will direct their policy towards maintaining undiminished the territorial condition of the Chinese Empire. 3. In case of another Power making use of the complications in China in order to obtain under any form whatever such territorial advantages, the two Contracting Parties reserve to themselves to come to a preliminary understanding as to the eventual steps to be taken for the protection of their own interests in China. 4. The two Governments will communicate this Agreement to the other Powers interested, and especially to Austria-Hungary, France, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the United States of America, and will invite them to accept the principles recorded in it. No. 2.-Count Hatzfeldt to the Marquess of Salisbury.—(Received October 16.) MILORD, Kaiserlich Deutsche Botschaft, London, den 16 October, 1900. EUERE Excellenz habe ich die Ehre ganz ergebenst zu benachrichtigen, dass meine Regierung den nachfolgenden zwischen Euerer Excellenz und mir vereinbarten Punkten ihre Zustimmung ertheilt hat: "Die Kaiserlich Deutsche Regierung und die Königlich Grossbritannische Regierung, von dem Wunsche geleitet, ihre Interessen in China und ihre Rechte aus bestehenden Verträgen aufrechtzuerhalten, sind übereingekommen, für ihre beiderseitige Politik in China nachstehende Grundsätze zu beobachten: "1. Es entspricht einem gemeinsamen und dauernden internationalen Interesse, dass die an den Flüssen und an der Küste Chinas gelegenen Häfen dem Handel und jeder sonstigen erlaubten wirthschaftlichen Thätigkeit für die Angehörigen aller Nationen ohne Unterschied frei und offen bleiben; und die beiden Regierungen sind mit einander einverstanden, dies ihrerseits für alles Chinesische Gebiet zu beobachten, wo sie einen Einfluss ausüben können. "2. Die Kaiserlich Deutsche Regierung und die Königlich Grossbritannische Regierung wollen ihrerseits die gegenwärtige Verwickelung nicht benutzen, um für sich irgend welche territorialen Vortheile auf Chinesischem Gebiet zu erlangen, und werden ihre Politik darauf richten, den Territorial Bestand des Chinesischen Reichs unvermindert zu erhalten. "3. Sollte eine andere Macht die Chinesischen Complicationen benutzen, um unter irgend einer Form solche territorialen Vortheile zu erlangen, so behalten beide Contrahenten sich vor, über etwanige Schritte zur Sicherung ihrer eigenen Interessen in China sich vorher unter einander zu verständigen. "4. Die beiden Regierungen werden diese Übereinkunft den übrigen betheiligten Mächten, insbesondere Frankreich, Italien, Japan, Oesterreich-Ungarn, Russland, und den Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika, mittheilen und dieselben einladen, den darin niedergelegten Grundsätzen beizutreten." Mit der ausgezeichnetsten Hochachtung habe ich die Ehre zu sein, &c. P. HATZFELDT. 31st 4th August ADDITIONAL ARTICLES to the Detailed Regulations of the 24th May, 1872, and the Articles of the 7th December, 1875,† the 4th November, 1881, and the 20th July 1889,§ for the carrying out of the Convention of the 4th March, 1872,|| relative to the Exchange of Money Orders between Great Britain and Italy (Telegraph Money Orders).-Signed at London, June 22, and at Rome, July 4, 1900.¶ THE Postmaster-General of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and the Minister for Posts and Telegraphs of the Kingdom of Italy have agreed as follows: ART. I. Telegraph money orders for sums not exceeding the maximum amount allowed in the case of ordinary money orders shall be exchanged between the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Italy. II. The sender of a telegraph money order shall be required to pay, in addition to the commission to be fixed and retained by the country of origin, the cost of a telegram of advice from one country to the other. III. The telegram of advice shall be in the French language, and shall be forwarded from the office at which the order is issued to the office at which it is payable, the following form being adopted :— IV. The telegraph money orders, or the corresponding advices of the same, shall be delivered to the payees in accordance with the provisions of Articles LXV and XLVII of the Service Regulations * Vol. LXII, page 899. Signed also in the Italian language. ** Name of the remitter or remitters, in accordance with the regulations for ordinary money orders. ++ Amount in figures and words in the money of the country of payment. ‡‡ Name and address in full of the payee or payees, in accordance with the regulations applying to ordinary money orders. applying to the International Telegraph Convention (Revision of Budapest). V. The apportionment of the amounts received for telegrams of advice (Article III) shall accord with the Regulations respecting the apportionment of amounts received for ordinary telegrams. VI. As in the case of ordinary money orders, the Administration of the country of issue shall account to the Administration of the country of payment for one-half of 1 per cent. on the amount of telegraph money orders paid. To this end, the telegraph money orders shall be entered separately by the respective offices of exchange at the end of the advice lists for ordinary money orders, with the heading "Advised by telegraph." VII. In cases of fictitious orders in which it may be impossible to determine in which country a fraud may have been committed, or in cases of fraud or error in connection with the transmission of telegrams of advice over the wires of intermediate countries or cable companies, the responsibility for any losses involved shall be shared equally by the Postal Administrations of Great Britain and of the Kingdom of Italy. VIII. In other respects telegraph money orders shall be subject to the same general conditions as ordinary money orders. The provisions of the above Additional Articles shall come into operation on the 1st day of August, 1900. Done in duplicate, and signed at London on the 22nd day of June, 1900; and at Rome on the 4th day of July, 1900. (L.S.) LONDONDERRY. (L.S.) A. PASIOLATO. CONVENTION between Great Britain and Japan, for the Protection of the Estates of Deceased Persons.-Signed at Tokió, April 26, 1900. [Ratifications exchanged at Tôkiô, October 25, 1900.] HER Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India, and His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, being equally desirous of maintaining the relations of good understanding, which happily exist between them, by laying down rules for the protection of the estates of deceased persons, have agreed to conclude a Convention, and for that purpose have named as their respective Plenipotentiaries, that is to say: Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India, Sir Ernest Mason Satow, Knight Commander of the Most Distinguished Order of St. Michael and St. George, Her Britannic Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, and His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, Viscount Aoki Siüzo, Junii, First Class of the Imperial Order of the Rising Sun, His Imperial Majesty's Minister of State for Foreign Affairs; Who, having communicated to each other their respective full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following Articles : ART. I. Whenever a subject of one of the High Contracting Parties shall die within the dominions of the other, and there shall be no person present at the time of such death who shall be rightly entitled to administer the estate of such deceased person, the following rules shall be observed: 1. When the deceased leaves, in the above-named circumstances, heirs of his or her own nationality only, or who may be qualified to enjoy the civil status of their father or mother, as the case may be, the Consul-General, Consul, Vice-Consul, or Consular Agent of the country to which the deceased belonged, on giving notice to the proper authorities, shall take possession and have custody of the property of the said deceased, shall pay the expenses of the funeral, and retain the surplus for the payment of his or her debts, and for the benefit of the heirs to whom it may rightly belong. But the said Consul-General, Consul, Vice-Consul, or Consular Agent shall be bound immediately to apply to the proper Court for letters of administration of the effects left by the deceased, and these letters shall be delivered to him with such limitations and for such time as to such Court may seem right. 2. If, however, the deceased leaves in the country of his or her decease and in the above-named circumstances, any heir or universal legatee of other nationality than his or her own, or to whom the civil status of his or her father or his or her mother, as the case may be, cannot be granted, then each of the two Governments may determine whether the proper Court shall proceed according to law, or shall confide the collection and administration to the respective Consular officers under the proper limitations. When there is no Consul-General, Consul, Vice-Consul, or Consular Agent, in the locality where the decease has occurred (in the case contemplated by the first rule of this Article) upon whom devolves the custody and administration of the estate, the proper authority shall proceed in these acts until the arrival of the respective Consular officer. II. The stipulations of the present Convention shall be applicable, so far as the laws permit, to all the Colonies and foreign |