ECONOMIC

AGRICULTURE

INTERNATIONAL AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE CREDIT COMPANY 1

Yugoslavia

According to a communication from the League of Nations dated January 25, 1934, the instrument of ratification by Yugoslavia of the convention for the creation of an International Mortgage Credit Company, with charter and statutes annexed thereto, signed May 21, 1931, was deposited with the Secretariat on January 16, 1934.

This convention has been ratified by Greece, Latvia, Poland, Rumania, Switzerland, and Yugoslavia. It has not yet entered into effect as the amount of the contributions from the governments which have ratified it has not attained the sum of 25 million francs specified by the convention.

PREPARATORY CONFERENCE TO CONSIDER THE PROBLEM OF COORDINATING THE PRODUCTION AND MARKETING OF SUGAR

Under date of February 6, 1934, the Secretary General of the Monetary and Economic Conference addressed an invitation to the Secretary of State requesting this Government to participate in a conference to be held in London on March 5, 1934, to consider the problem of coordinating the production and marketing of sugar. The text of the invitation is quoted below:

"In my capacity as Secretary-General of the Monetary and Economic Conference and at the request of M. Colijn, President of the Economic Commission, acting in agreement with the President of the Conference-I have the honour to invite your Government to send a representative to a preparatory meeting to consider the problem of co-ordinating the production and marketing of sugar.

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This meeting will be held in London on March 5th next. The hour and place will be communicated to you later.

"The following countries are invited to take part: Germany, Belgium, Great Britain, Cuba, United States of America, Hungary, Netherlands, Peru, Poland, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia. In addition, the Honorary President and the President of the International Sugar Council are being requested to attend in an advisory capacity. The object of the meeting is to resume the examination of the sugar question on the lines on which it was begun at the London

'See Bulletin No. 32, May 1932, p. 12.

Conference by the Sub-Commission for the Co-ordination of Production and Marketing and to ascertain whether the convening of a subsequent meeting on a wider scope, to which the principal importing and exporting countries concerned would be invited, might facilitate the conclusion of a general agreement for ensuring a better organisation of the production and marketing of sugar.

I should be obliged if you would inform me as soon as possible of the name of the delegate who will be appointed to take part in this meeting."

On February 21, 1934, the Secretary of State instructed the American Minister to Switzerland to reply to the invitation as follows:

"The Secretary of State has requested me to inform you that he has received your letter of February 6, 1934, and desires me to transmit to you his reply.

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"I have received your letter of February 6, 1934, extending to this Government an invitation to participate in the preparatory meeting to consider the problem of coordinating the production and marketing of sugar. It is noted that the object of this meeting is to ascertain whether the convening of a subsequent meeting of a wider scope, to which the principal importing and exporting countries concerned would be invited, might facilitate the conclusion of a general agreement for insuring a better organization of the production and marketing of sugar."

"In the name of the American Government I am pleased to accept this invitation, although I desire to make it perfectly clear that until its policy embracing the areas which supply the domestic market has been developed, the American Government cannot assume any position respecting an international agreement.

"It is noted that in case it is decided to convene a meeting of wider scope, the principal importing as well as exporting nations will be invited.

"This Government will be represented at the conference to be held at London, March 5, next, by Mr. Ray Atherton, Chairman, Chargé d'Affaires, American Embassy, London; Major General Frank McIntyre, Philippine Trade Commissioner in the United States, and Mr. Edward A. Foley, Agricultural Attaché, Embassy London."

AVIATION

CONVENTION FOR THE UNIFICATION OF CERTAIN RULES RELATING TO THE PRECAUTIONARY ATTACHMENT OF AIRCRAFT 2

Netherlands

The Italian Ambassador at Washington informed the Secretary of State by a note dated February 7, 1934, that the convention for the unification of certain rules relating to the precautionary attachment

of aircraft, adopted at the Third International Conference on Private Air Law, Rome, May 29, 1933, had been signed by the Netherlands on December 30, 1933.

The convention, which remained open for signature until January 1, 1934, has been signed by the following countries: United States of America, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Rumania, Salvador, San Marino, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, and Yugoslavia.

CONVENTION FOR THE UNIFICATION OF CERTAIN RULES RELATING TO DAMAGES CAUSED BY AIRCRAFT TO THIRD PARTIES ON THE SURFACE 3

Netherlands-Vatican City State

The above-mentioned note from the Italian Ambassador states likewise that the convention for the unification of certain rules relating to damages caused by aircraft to third parties on the surface, adopted at the Third International Conference on Private Air Law, Rome, May 29, 1933, had been signed by the Netherlands on December 30, 1933, and by the Vatican City State on November 16, 1933.

This convention, which remained open for signature until January 1, 1934, has been signed by the following countries: United States of America, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Netherlands, Salvador, San Marino, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey, Vatican City State, and Yugoslavia.

COMMERCE

TREATY OF FRIENDSHIP, COMMERCE, AND CONSULAR RIGHTS BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND FINLAND

A treaty of friendship, commerce, and consular rights between the United States and Finland was signed at the Department of State on February 13, 1934, by Secretary of State Cordell Hull and Mr. L. Åström, the Minister of Finland. The treaty will take effect in all its provisions 30 days after the date of the exchange of ratifications, which will take place at Washington, and will remain in force for a term of one year and thereafter indefinitely, subject to termination on a notice of six months by either Government.

The treaty contains provisions by which each country accords to the other unconditional most-favored-nation treatment in commer

'See ibid.

cial matters; national treatment is provided for shipping in respect of tonnage dues and other matters except coasting trade, in regard to which most-favored-nation treatment is promised. Other provisions deal with the right of entry, travel, and residence of the nationals of Finland in the United States and of the nationals of the United States in Finland. The treaty also contains articles concerning the rights, duties, privileges, and immunities of consular officers, embodying a complete consular convention.

The treaty will supersede two Executive agreements according respectively most-favored-nation treatment in regard to duties and national treatment in regard to tonnage dues, which have been in force since 1925.

The United States has negotiated similar treaties during recent years which are now in effect with Austria, El Salvador, Estonia, Germany, Honduras, Hungary, Latvia, Norway, and Poland.

TREATY OF COMMERCE AND NAVIGATION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND YUGOSLAVIA

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DECISION OF THE SUPREME COURT OF WASHINGTON, JANUARY 22, 1984

Lukich v. Department of Labor and Industries

On January 22, 1934, the Supreme Court of Washington rendered a decision (no. 24720) in the case of Lukich v. Department of Labor and Industries. The court held that under the Washington Workmen's Compensation Act the widow of an employe who was a native of and was living in Yugoslavia at the time of the death of the employe was entitled as his dependent to only one-half of the compensation provided for by the act under a provision thereof that "except as otherwise provided by treaty, whenever under the provisions of this act, compensation is payable to a beneficiary or dependent who is an alien not residing in the United States, the department shall pay fifty per centum of the compensation herein otherwise provided to such beneficiary or dependent.”

It was also held by the court that the most-favored-nation clause of the treaty of commerce and navigation between the United States. and Yugoslavia did not make this provision of the Compensation Act inapplicable by reason of the provision of the treaty of February 25, 1913, between the United States and Italy," article 1 of which provides for the citizens of each country "security and protection for their persons and property and for their rights, including that form of protection granted by any State or national law

4 Treaty Series, No. 319. 5 Treaty Series, No. 580.

which establishes a civil responsibility for injuries or for death caused by negligence or fault and gives to relatives or heirs of the injured party a right of action, which right shall not be restricted on account of the nationality of said relatives or heirs ". The mostfavored-nation clause of the treaty with Yugoslavia provides that "all the rights, privileges, exemptions and immunities of any kind enjoyed with respect to commerce and industry between citizens. or subjects of the high contracting parties, or which are or may be hereafter conceded to the subjects of any third power shall be extended to the citizens or subjects of the other ". The court declared that this treaty refers only to matters of commerce, navigation, trade, and industry and therefore that the most-favored-nation clause thereof can not be invoked to entitle the citizens of Yugoslavia to the benefits of the treaty between the United States and Italy as to the right of action for death. It was construed that the word "industry" as used in the most-favored-nation clause was employed in connection with commerce and not with labor.

INTERNATIONAL MONETARY AND ECONOMIC CONFERENCE

TARIFF TRUCE

Honduras

A circular letter from the League of Nations, dated January 30, 1934, informs the Secretary of State that by a communication dated January 18, 1934, Honduras notified the Secretary General of its withdrawal from the tariff truce "owing to the uncertainty as to the date of the closure of the London Economic Conference."

On December 15, 1933, the Australian Parliament ratified and approved, by Act No. 62 of 1933, the silver agreement and the supplementary allotment agreement signed at London on July 22 and 26, 1933, respectively.

By a despatch dated February 9, 1933, the American Embassy at London transmitted to the Department of State a copy of this act furnished to it by the Australian High Commissioner in London. According to the provisions of section 8 of the silver agreement, this notification of the affirmative action necessary to carry out the purposes of the agreement on behalf of Australia will be accepted as an instrument of ratification.

"See Bulletin No. 51, December 1933, p. 11.