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The products and manufactures of the United States will pay at their entrance into Spain at the rates of the second or minimum tariff of the Spanish tariff law, it being understood that every decrease of duty accorded by Spain by law or in the commercial pacts now made, or which in future shall be made with other nations will be immediately aplicable to the United States, exception only being made of the special advantages conceded to Portugal.

It is also agreed that the words United States wherever used in the said Agreement shall be deemed to include the territories and posessions of the United States to which the general tariff laws governing imports into the states admitted into the Union are applied. The above is to be taken as the accepted construction of the existing Agreement, and as the measure of the respective rights of the two countries thereunder.

I avail myself of this occasion to renew to Your Excellency the assurances of my highest consideration.

His Excellency
D. JUAN PEREZ CABALLERO,

ROBERT M. WINTHROP. Chargé d'Affaires ad-interim.

Minister of State.

[Translation.]

MINISTRY OF STATE, Madrid December 20, 1906.

DEAR SIR: In answer to your note of this date in which having been duly authorized to clear up, as desired by His Majesty's Government, certain obscurities in the text of the Agreement concluded between the United States and Spain on August 1st. last, and to effectuate the intention of the two nations to concede reciprocally the most favored nation treatment, you express the true meaning which is to be given to the second paragraph of the said Agreement, I have the honor to inform you in the name of His Majesty's Government that, in accord with what is stated in your Note, the true meaning of said paragraph shall be deemed to be as follows:

The products and manufactures of the United States will pay at their entrance into Spain at the rates of the second or minimum tariff of the Spanish tariff law, it being understood that every decrease of duty accorded by Spain by law or in the commercial pacts now made, or which in future shall be made with other nations will be immediately applicable to the United States, exception only being made of the special advantages conceded to Portugal.

It is also agreed that the words United States wherever used in the said Agreement shall be deemed to include the territories and possessions of the United States to which the general tariff laws governing imports into the States admitted into the Union are applied.

The above is to be taken as the accepted construction of the existing Agreement, and as the measure of the respective rights of the two countries under the said Convention.

I avail myself of this occasion to renew to you the assurances of my distinguished consideration. J. PEREZ CABALLERO.

Mr. ROBERT M. WINTHROP,

Chargé d'Affaires of the United States of America.

1909."

SUPPLEMENTAL COMMERCIAL AGREEMENT EFFECTED BY EXCHANGE OF NOTES.

Signed at Washington February 20, 1909.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, February 20, 1909.

SIR: In order to meet the wishes of your Government in the matter of the extension to Spain of the authorized reduction in the tariff duties of the United States on Spanish sparkling wines, and in order to remove any possible ground for the exercise by your Government of the right under Article III of the Commercial Agreement signed between the two countries on August 1, 1906, to rescind any of its concessions made therein to the United States, I have the honor to inform you that the President of the United States deems the concessions made by Spain in favor of the products and manufactures of the United States as reciprocal and equivalent to the grant by the Government of the United States of the reduced duties on all the articles of Spanish production and exportation enumerated in Section 3 of the Tariff Act of the United States approved July 24, 1897.

I have therefore the honor to inform you that the President of the United States will issue his proclamation suspending the duties on sparkling wines produced in and exported from Spain and substituting therefor the reduced duties authorized by Section 3 of the Dingley Tariff.

I should be glad to be informed by you as to whether this action, supplementary to the Agreement of August 1, 1906, will meet completely the wishes of your Government in the matter.

Accept, Sir, the renewed assurances of my highest consideration. ROBERT BACON.

Señor Don RAMON PIÑA,

Minister of Spain.

[Translation.]

SPANISH LEGATION, Washington, February 20, 1909.

MR. SECRETARY: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of this date, in which, while advising me that in order to meet the wishes of your Government in the matter of the extension

a This agreement will terminate August 7, 1910, on notice given by United States.

to Spain of the authorized reduction in the tariff duties of the United States on Spanish sparkling wines, and in order to remove any possible ground for the exercise by my Government of the right under Article III of the Commercial Agreement signed between the two countries on August 1, 1906, to rescind any of its concessions made therein to the United States, you also informed me that the President of the United States deemed the concession made by Spain in favor of the products and manufactures of the United States as reciprocal and equivalent to the grant by the Government of the United States of the reduced duties on all articles of Spanish production and exportation enumerated in Section 3 of the Tariff Act of July 24, 1897, will issue his proclamation suspending the present duties on sparkling wines produced in or exported from Spain and substituting therefor the reduced duties authorized by Section 3 of the Dingley law. I thank Your Excellency for the proposed action which you were pleased to make known to me and I agree in every particular of the way suggested by Your Excellency for this additional part of the agreement of August 1, 1906. I avail myself of this occasion to reiterate to your Excellency the assurance of my highest consideraR. PINA Y MILLET.

tion.

Hon. ROBERT BACON,

Secretary of State.

1908.

ARBITRATION CONVENTION.

Signed at Washington April 20, 1908; ratification advised by the Senate April 22, 1908; ratified by the President May 28, 1908; ratifications exchanged at Washington June 2, 1908; proclaimed June 3, 1908.

I. Differences to be submitted.

II. Special agreement.

ARTICLES.

III. Duration.
IV. Ratification.

The Government of the United States of America and the Government of His Majesty the King of Spain, signatories of the Convention for the pacific settlement of international disputes, concluded at The Hague on the 29th July, 1899;

Taking into consideration that by Article XIX of that Convention the High Contracting Parties have reserved to themselves the right of concluding Agreements, with a view to referring to arbitration all questions which they shall consider possible to submit to such treatment;

Have authorized the Undersigned to conclude the following Convention:

ARTICLE I.

Differences which may arise of a legal nature, or relating to the interpretation of treaties existing between the two Contracting Par

ties, and which it may not have been possible to settle by diplomacy, shall be referred to the Permanent Court of Arbitration established at The Hague by the Convention of the 29th July, 1899, provided, nevertheless, that they do not affect the vital interests, the independence, or the honor of the two Contracting States, and do not concern the interests of third Parties.

ARTICLE II.

In each individual case the High Contracting Parties, before appealing to the Permanent Court of Arbitration, shall conclude a special Agreement defining clearly the matter in dispute, the scope of the powers of the arbitrators, and the periods to be fixed for the formation of the Arbitral Tribunal and the several stages of the procedure. It is understood that on the part of the United States such special agreements will be made by the President of the United States, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof, and on the part of Spain shall be subject to the procedure required by her laws.

ARTICLE III.

The present Convention is concluded for a period of five years dating from the day of the exchange of the ratifications.

ARTICLE IV.

The present Convention 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 His Majesty the King of Spain. The ratifications shall be exchanged at Washington as soon as possible, and the Convention shall take effect on the date of the exchange of its ratifications.

Done in duplicate in the English and Spanish languages at Washington, this twentieth day of April in the year one thousand nine hundred and eight.

ELIHU ROOT

R. PIÑA Y MILLET

SWEDEN.

(SEE SWEDEN AND NORWAY, page 1742. NORWAY, page 1300.) Note from the Swedish Minister to the Secretary of State.

(For. Rel., 1905, page 872.)

LEGATION OF SWEDEN, Washington, November 20, 1905. Mr. SECRETARY OF STATE: One of the direct consequences of the dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway is the cessation of the two countries' community in regard to the conventions and arrangements of every character entered into jointly by them with another power or several powers. Hence the Swedish Government deems itself released from any responsibility by reason of the obligations stipulated in the said common conventions and arrangements in which Norway is concerned. As for the treaties or other agreements concluded in the name of His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway for Norway separately, it is obvious-and I hardly need point it out here that His Majesty's Government is in no wise answerable, after the separation of the two states, for the obligations incumbent upon Norway.

On the other hand, the Swedish Government is of opinion that the above mentioned instruments jointly concluded by Sweden and Norway, continue in full force and effect as regards the relations between Sweden and the other contracting party or parties, without any modification whatever of the provisions that have heretofore regulated such relations being required by the dissolution of the union between Sweden and Norway.

The Swedish Government reserves the right to make, after a more thorough examination, a further communication on the point of deciding whether and in what measure a revision of the existing treaties is necessary or expedient.

In the meanwhile, the Swedish Government deems all agreements concluded by Sweden, whether separate or jointly with Norway, to be valid without modifications in regard to the relations therein considered between Sweden and the respective states.

I have the honor to bring the foregoing to your excellency's knowledge in compliance with directions received by me, and to beg that you will be so good as to acknowledge the receipt of this communication.

Be pleased, etc.,

A. GRIP.

The Secretary of State acknowledged receipt of this communication in a note dated December 4, 1905.

See also Note from Norwegian Minister to Secretary of State, December 7, 1905, page 1300.

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