the importation, exportation or transit of goods granted by Bulgaria to any Allied or Associated State or to any other foreign country whatever shall simultaneously and unconditionally, without request and without compensation, be extended to all the Allied and Associated States. 151. During the period of one year after the coming into force of the present Treaty, the duties imposed by Bulgaria on imports from Allied and Associated States shall not be higher than the most favourable duties which were applied to imports into Bulgaria on the 28th July, 1914. The payment of customs duties on such imports on a gold basis may, subject to the provisions of Article 150, be required in all cases where by Bulgarian law such payment in gold could be required on 28th July, 1914, provided that the rate of conversion of gold notes shall be periodically fixed by the Reparation Commission. Chapter II.-Shipping. 152. As regards sea fishing, maritime coasting trade and maritime towage, vessels of the Allied and Associated Powers shall enjoy in Bulgaria, even in territorial waters, the treatment accorded to vessels of the most favoured nation. 153. In the case of vessels of the Allied or Associated Powers all classes of certificates or documents relating to the vessel which were recognised as valid by Bulgaria before the war, or which may hereafter be recognised as valid by the principal maritime States, shall be recognised by Bulgaria as valid and as equivalent to the corresponding certificates issued to Bulgarian vessels. A similar recognition shall be accorded to the certificates and documents issued to their vessels by the Governments of new States, whether they have a sea-coast or not. provided that such certificates and documents shall be issued in conformity with the general practice observed in the principal maritime States. The High Contracting Parties agree to recognise the flag flown by the vessels of an Allied or Associated Power having no sea-coast which are registered at some one specified place situated in its territory; such place shall serve as the port of registry of such vessels. Chapter III.Unfair Competition. 154. Bulgaria undertakes to adopt all the necessary legislative and administrative measures to protect goods the produce or manufacture of any one of the Allied and Associated Powers from all forms of unfair competition in commercial transactions. Bulgaria undertakes to prohibit and repress by seizure and by other appropriate remedies the importation, exportation, manufacture, distribution, sale or offering for sale in her territory of all goods bearing upon themselves or their usual get-up or wrappings any marks, names, devices or descriptions whatsoever which are calculated to convey, directly or indirectly, a false indication of the origin, type, nature or special characteristics of such goods. 155. Bulgaria undertakes, on condition that reciprocity is accorded in these matters, to respect any law, or any administrative or judicial decision given in conformity with such law, in force in any Allied or Associated State and duly communicated to her by the proper authorities, defining or regulating the right to any regional appellation in respect of wines or spirits produced in the State to which the region belongs or the conditions under which the use of any such appellation may be permitted; and the importation, exportation, manufacture, distribution, sale or offering for sale of products or articles bearing regional appellations inconsistent with such law or order shall be prohibited by Bulgaria and repressed by the measures prescribed in the preceding Article. Chapter IV.-Treatment of Nationals of Allied and Associated Powers. 156. Bulgaria undertakes (a.) Not to subject the nationals of the Allied and Associated Powers to any prohibition in regard to the exercise of occupations, professions, trade and industry, which shall not be equally applicable to all aliens without exception; (b.) Not to subject the nationals of the Allied and Associated Powers in regard to the rights referred to in paragraph (a) to any regulation or restriction which might contravene, directly or indirectly, the stipulations of the said paragraph, or which shall be other or more disadvantageous than those which are applicable to nationals of the most favoured nation; (c.) Not to subject the nationals of the Allied and Associated Powers, their property, rights or interests, including companies and associations in which they are interested, to any charge, tax or impost, direct or indirect, other or higher than those which are or may be imposed on her own nationals or their property, rights or interests, or on the nationals of any more favoured nation or their property, rights or interests; (d.) Not to subject the nationals of any one of the Allied and Associated Powers to any restriction which was not applicable on the 1st July, 1914, to the nationals of such Powers unless such restriction is likewise imposed on her own nationals. 157. The nationals of the Allied and Associated Powers shall enjoy in Bulgarian territory a constant protection for their persons and for their property, rights and interests, and shall have free access to the courts of law. new 158. Bulgaria undertakes to recognise any nationality which has been or may be acquired by her nationals under the laws of the Allied and Associated Powers and in accordance with the decisions of the competent authorities of these Powers pursuant to naturalisation laws or under treaty stipulations, and to regard such persons as having, in consequence of the acquisition of such new nationality, in all respects severed their allegiance to their country of origin. 159. The Allied and Associated Powers may appoint consuls-general, consuls, vice-consuls, and consular agents in Bulgarian towns and ports. Bulgaria undertakes to approve the designation of the consuls-general, consuls. vice-consuls, and consular agents whose names shall be notified to her, and to admit them to the exercise of their functions in conformity with the usual rules and customs. Chapter V.-General Articles. 160. The obligations imposed on Bulgaria by Chapter I and by Article 152 of Chapter II above shall cease to have effect five years from the date of the coming into force of the present Treaty, unless otherwise provided in the text, or unless the Council of the League of Nations shall, at least twelve months before the expiration of that period, decide that these obligations shall be maintained for a further period with or without amendment. Article 156 of Chapter IV shall remain in operation, with or without amendment, after the period of five years for such further period, if any, not exceeding five years, as may be determined by a majority of the Council of the League of Nations. 161. If the Bulgarian Government engages in international trade, it shall not in respect thereof have or be deemed to have any rights, privileges or immunities of Sovereignty. Section II.—Treaties. 162. From the coming into force of the present Treaty, and subject to the provisions thereof, the multilateral Treaties, Conventions and Agreements of an economic or technical character enumerated below and in the subsequent Articles shall alone be applied as between Bulgaria and those of the Allied and Associated Powers party thereto : (1.) Convention of the 11th October, 1909,* regarding the international circulation of motor-cars. (2.) Agreement of the 15th May, 1886, regarding the sealing of railway trucks subject to customs inspection, and Protocol of the 18th May, 1907. (3.) Agreement of the 15th May, 1886, regarding the technical standardisation of railways. (4.) Convention of the 5th July, 1890,† regarding the publication of customs tariffs and the organisation of an International Union for the publication of customs tariffs. (5.) Convention of the 20th May, 1875, regarding the unification and improvement of the metric system. (6.) Convention of the 29th November, 1906, § regarding the unification of pharmacopoeial formulæ for potent drugs. (7.) Convention of the 7th June, 1905,|| regarding the creation of an International Agricultural Institute at Rome. (8.) Arrangement of the 9th December, 1907,¶ for the creation of an International Office of Public Hygiene at Paris. 163. From the coming into force of the present Treaty the High Contracting Parties shall apply the Conventions and Agreements hereinafter mentioned, in so far as concerns them, Bulgaria undertaking to comply with the special stipulations contained in this Article. Postal Conventions. Conventions and Agreements of the Universal Postal Union concluded at Vienna on the 4th July, 1891.* ** Conventions and Agreements of the Postal Union signed. at Washington on the 15th June, 1897.†† Conventions and Agreements of the Postal Union signed. at Rome on the 26th May, 1906.‡‡ Telegraphic Conventions. International telegraphic Conventions signed at St. Petersburg on the 10th/22nd July, 1875. §§ Regulations and tariffs drawn up by the International Telegraphic Conference, Lisbon, the 11th June, 1908.|||| Bulgaria undertakes not to refuse her assent to the conclusion by the new States of the special arrangements referred to in the Conventions and Agreements relating to the Universal Postal Union and to the International Telegraphic Union, to which the said new States have adhered or may adhere. 164. From the coming into force of the present Treaty the High Contracting Parties shall apply, in so far as concerns them, the International Radio-Telegraphic Convention of the 5th July, 1912,* Bulgaria undertaking to comply with the provisional regulations which will be indicated to her by the Allied and Associated Powers. If within five years after the coming into force of the present Treaty a new Convention regulating international radio-telegraphic communication should have been concluded to take the place of the Convention of the 5th July, 1912. this new Convention shall bind Bulgaria, even if Bulgaria should refuse either to take part in drawing up the Convention or to subscribe thereto. This new Convention will likewise replace the provisional regulations in force. 165. Until the conclusion of a new Convention concerning fishing in the waters of the Danube to replace the Convention of the 29th November, 1901, the transitory régime to be established will be settled by an arbitrator appointed by the European Commission of the Danube. 166. Bulgaria undertakes: (1.) Within a period of twelve months from the coming into force of the present Treaty to adhere in the prescribed form to the International Convention of Paris of the 20th March, 1883, for the protection of industrial property. revised at Washington on the 2nd June, 1911, and the International Convention of Berne of the 9th September, 1886.§ for the protection of literary and artistic works, revised at Berlin on the 13th November, 1908, and the Additional Protocol of Berne of the 20th March, 1914, relating to the protection of literary and artistic works: (2.) Within the same period to recognise and protect by effective legislation in accordance with the principles of the said Conventions the industrial, literary, and artistic property of nationals of the Allied and Associated States. In addition, and independently of the obligations mentioned above, Bulgaria undertakes to continue to assure such recognition and such protection to all the industrial, literary and artistic property of the nationals of each of the * Vol. CV, page 219. Vol. CIV, page 116. + Vol. LXXIV, page 44. |