I will be under great obligation to you if you will kindly take note of the present declaration and will inform me whether persons under French jurisdiction may count on the same legal protection from the consular authorities in China of the United States of America in all that concerns the ownership of literary and artistic productions. Accept [etc.] F. GEORGES PICOT. The American Minister to the French Chargé d'Affaires. AMERICAN LEGATION, Peking, December 27, 1911. MR. CHARGÉ D'AFFAIRES AND DEAR COLLEAGUE: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of December 26, 1911, informing me that you have been authorized by your Government to effect with me by an exchange of notes an agreement for the reciprocal protection in China of French and American copyrights for literary and artistic productions. I have the honor to inform you in reply that I have been authorized to state that henceforth protection will be afforded in China, in accordance with the laws of the United States and on condition of reciprocity, for the copyrights of French literary, artistic, musical or dramatic works, including photographs, duly registered in the United States, against infringement by persons under American jurisdiction. To that end the American courts in China will be competent to hear all such cases presented by citizens or subjects of France. I have the honor further to inform you that the protection of literary and artistic property in the United States of America is provided for by the act of Congress of March 4, 1909, amending and consolidating previous acts respecting copyright (U. S. Statutes at Large, vol. 35, chapter 320); and that by a Presidential proclamation of April 9, 1910, this protection is extended to works of authors or proprietors who are citizens or subjects of France. Accept [etc.] 1913. W. J. CALHOUN. AGREEMENT EXTENDING THE DURATION OF THE ARBITRATION CONVENTION OF FEBRUARY 10, 1908. Signed at Washington February 13, 1913; ratification advised by the Senate February 19, 1913; ratified by the President February 25, 1913; ratified by France February 28, 1913; ratifications exchanged at Washington March 14, 1913; proclaimed March 15, 1913. (Treaty Series, No. 577; 38 Statutes at Large, 1643.) ARTICLES. I. Extension of arbitration convention of February 10, 1908. II. Ratification. The Government of the United States of America and the Government of the French Republic, being desirous of extending the period 136 Statutes at Large, 2685. 2587 of five years during which the Arbitration Convention concluded between them on February 10, 1908, is to remain in force, which period is about to expire, have authorized the undersigned, to wit: Philander C. Knox, Secretary of State of the United States, and J. J. Jusserand, Ambassador of the French Republic to the United States, to conclude the following arrangement: ARTICLE I. The Convention of Arbitration of February 10, 1908,1 between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the French Republic, the duration of which by Article III thereof was fixed at a period of five years from the date of ratification, which period will terminate on February 27, 1913, is hereby extended and continued in force for a further period of five years from February 27, 1913. 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 the President of the French Republic, in accordance with the constitutional laws of France, and it shall become effective upon the date of the exchange of ratifications, which shall take place at Washington as soon as possible. Done in duplicate, in the English and French languages, at Washington this 13th day of February, one thousand nine hundred and thirteen. TREATY FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF PEACE. Signed at Washington September 15, 1914; ratification advised by the Senate September 25, 1914; ratified by the President January 14, 1915; ratified by France December 3, 1914; ratifications exchanged at Washington January 22, 1915; proclaimed January 23, 1915. (Treaty Series, No. 609; 38 Statutes at Large, 1887.) ARTICLES. 1. All disputes not settled by diplomacy or arbitration to be reported upon by commission before resort to any act of force. 2. Composition, renewal, remuneration of commission. B. Initiative of reference of dispute. 4. Parties may be heard; preservation of rights. 5. Procedure; time and effect of report. 6. Ratification; duration. The President of the United States of America and the President of the French Republic, desiring to strengthen the friendly relations which unite their two countries and to serve the cause of general 1 For text see Vol. I, p. 549. peace, have decided to conclude a treaty for these purposes and have consequently appointed the plenipotentiaries designated hereinafter, to-wit: The President of the United States of America, the Honorable William Jennings Bryan, Secretary of State of the United States; and The President of the French Republic, His Excellency J. J. Jusserand, Ambassador of the French Republic to the United States; Who, after exhibiting to each other their full powers, found to be in due and proper form, have agreed upon the following articles: ARTICLE 1. Any disputes arising between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of the French Republic, of whatever nature they may be, shall, when ordinary diplomatic proceedings have failed and the High Contracting Parties do not have recourse to arbitration, be submitted for investigation and report to a Permanent International Commission constituted in the manner prescribed in the following article. The High Contracting Parties agree not to resort, with respect to each other, to any act of force during the investigation to be made by the Commission and before its report is handed in. ARTICLE 2. The International Commission shall be composed of five members appointed as follows: Each Government shall designate two members, only one of whom shall be of its own nationality; the fifth member shall be designated by common consent and shall not belong to any of the nationalities already represented on the Commission; he shall perform the duties of President. In case the two Governments should be unable to agree on the choice of the fifth commissioner, the other four shall be called upon to designate him, and failing an understanding between them, the provisions of article 45 of The Hague Convention of 1907 shall be applied. The Commission shall be organized within six months from the exchange of ratifications of the present convention. The members shall be appointed for one year and their appointment may be renewed. They shall remain in office until superseded or reappointed, or until the work on which they are engaged at the time their office expires is completed. Any vacancies which may arise (from death, resignation, or cases of physical or moral incapacity) shall be filled within the shortest possible period in the manner followed for the original appoint ment. The High Contracting Parties shall, before designating the Commissioners, reach an understanding in regard to their compensation. They shall bear by halves the expenses incident to the meeting of the Commission. ARTICLE 3. In case a dispute should arise between the High Contracting Parties which is not settled by the ordinary methods, each Party shall have a right to ask that the investigation thereof be intrusted to the International Commission charged with making a report. Notice shall be given to the President of the International Commission, who shall at once communicate with his colleagues. In the same case the President may, after consulting his colleagues and upon receiving the consent of a majority of the members of the Commission, offer the services of the latter to each of the Contracting Parties. Acceptance of that offer declared by one of the two Governments shall be sufficient to give jurisdiction to the case to the Commission in accordance with the foregoing paragraph. The place of meeting shall be determined by the Commission itself. ARTICLE 4. The two High Contracting Parties shall have a right, each on its own part, to state to the President of the Commission what is the subject-matter of the controversy. No difference in these statements, which shall be furnished by way of suggestion, shall arrest the action of the Commission. In case the cause of the dispute should consist of certain acts already committed or about to be committed, the Commission shall as soon as possible indicate what measures to preserve the right of each party ought in its opinion to be taken provisionally and pending the delivery of its report. ARTICLE 5. As regards the procedure which it is to follow, the Commission shall as far as possible be guided by the provisions contained in articles 9 to 36 of Convention 1 of The Hague of 1907. The High Contracting Parties agree to afford the Commission all means and all necessary facilities for its investigation and report. The work of the Commission shall be completed within one year from the date on which it has taken jurisdiction of the case, unless the High Contracting Parties should agree to set a different period. The conclusion of the Commission and the terms of its report shall be adopted by a majority. The report, signed only by the President acting by virtue of his office, shall be transmitted by him to each of the Contracting Parties. The High Contracting Parties reserve full liberty as to the action to be taken on the report of the Commission. ARTICLE 6. The present treaty shall be ratified by the President of the United States of America, with the advice and consent of the Senate of the United States, and by the President of the French Republic, in accordance with the constitutional laws of France. It shall go into force immediately after the exchange of ratifications and shall last five years. Unless denounced six months at least before the expiration of the said period of five years, it shall remain in force until the expiration of a period of twelve months after either party shall have notified the other of its intention to terminate it. 29479-S. Doc. 348, 67-4- -9 In witness whereof the respective plenipotentiaries have signed the present treaty and have affixed thereunto their seals. Done at Washington this 15th day of September, in the year nineteen hundred and fourteen. [SEAL.] [SEAL.] WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN AGREEMENT EFFECTED BY EXCHANGE OF NOTES, EXTENDING THE TIME FOR APPOINTMENT OF THE COMMISSION UNDER ARTICLE FI OF THE TREATY OF SEPTEMBER 15, 1914, FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF PEACE. Signed November 10, 1915. (Treaty Series, No. 609-A.) [The Secretary of State to the French Ambassador.] Excellency: DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, November 10, 1915. It not having been found feasible to complete the International Commission provided for in the Treaty of September 15, 1914 between the United States and France, looking to the advancement of the general cause of peace, within the time specified in the Treaty, which expires tomorrow, I have the honor to suggest for the consideration of your Government that the time within which the organization of the Commission may be completed be extended by an exchange of notes from July 22. 1915 to January 1, 1916. Your formal notification in writing, of the same date as this, that your Government receives the suggestion favorably, will be regarded on this Government's part as sufficient to give effect to the extension, and I shall be glad to receive your assurance that it will be so regarded by your Government also. Accept, Excellency, the renewed assurances of my highest consideration. ROBERT LANSING His Excellency Mr. J. J. JUSSERAND, The Ambassador of France. [The French Ambassador to the Secretary of State.] [Translation.] EMBASSY OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC Mr. Secretary of State, Washington November 10, 1915. In reply to Your Excellency's letter of this day's date I hasten to confirm the oral assurances which I had previously given you and to the effect that my Government agrees with that of the United States to decide that the time within which the members of the Com |