AGREEMENT TO REFRAIN FROM INVOKING THE OBLIGATIONS OF THE MOST-FAVORED-NATION CLAUSE IN RESPECT OF CERTAIN MULTILATERAL CONVENTIONS The Director General of the Pan American Union transmitted to the Secretary of State with a communication dated July 16, 1934, a certified copy of the agreement to refrain from invoking the obligations of the most-favored-nation clause in respect of certain multilateral conventions. This agreement incorporates the proposal made by the Delegation of the United States to the Seventh International Conference of American States and approved by the Conference on December 24, 1933, as Resolution No. LXXXI.o 8 The text of the agreement included in Resolution No. LXXXI was studied on behalf of the Pan American countries by the Governing Board of the Pan American Union. After clarifying amendments were adopted by the Board, the agreement was, in accordance with the resolution, opened for signature by the Pan American Union on July 15, 1934. The Pan American Union is transmitting to all the countries of the world certified copies of the agreement as opened for signature and is inviting their participation in it. The text of the agreement as adopted is printed in the section of this bulletin entitled "Texts of Treaties and Agreements." FINANCE INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION FOR THE SUPPRESSION OF COUNTERFEITING CURRENCY, AND PROTOCOL 10 Poland The Secretary General of the League of Nations informed the Secretary of State by a circular letter dated July 5, 1934, of the deposit with the Secretariat on June 15, 1934, of the instrument of ratification by Poland of the convention for the suppression of counterfeiting currency, and protocol and optional protocol, signed at Geneva April 20, 1929. CONVENTIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES FOR THE UNIFICATION OF LAWS ON BILLS OF EXCHANGE, PROMISSORY NOTES, AND CHEQUES 11 Portugal According to information received from the League of Nations under date of June 29, 1934, the instruments of ratification by Por 'See Bulletin No. 51, December 1933, p. 6. 9 See Bulletin No. 52, January 1934, pp. 19-21. 10 See Bulletin No. 55, April 1934, p. 16. 11 See Bulletin No. 57, June 1934, p. 14. tugal of the following conventions signed at Geneva June 7, 1930, were deposited with the Secretariat on June 8, 1934: Convention and protocol providing a uniform law for bills of exchange and promissory notes; Convention and protocol for the settlement of certain conflicts of laws in connection with bills of exchange and promissory notes; Convention and protocol on the stamp laws in connection with bills of exchange and promissory notes. The instruments of ratification by Portugal of the following conventions signed at Geneva March 19, 1931, were also deposited on June 8, 1934: Convention and protocol providing a uniform law for cheques; Convention and protocol for the settlement of certain conflicts of laws in connection with cheques; Convention and protocol on the stamp laws in connection with cheques. FISHERIES CONVENTION FOR THE REGULATION OF WHALING 12 Denmark-Greenland According to a circular letter from the League of Nations dated July 11, 1934, the instrument of ratification by Denmark of the convention for the regulation of whaling, signed at Geneva September 24, 1931, was deposited with the Secretariat on June 26, 1934. The following declaration was made by the Permanent Delegate of Denmark accredited to the League of Nations at the time of the deposit of the instrument of ratification: "I declare that the Danish Government desires to extend the application of the Convention to Greenland. The reservation expressed at the time of signature with regard to Greenland is therefore withdrawn." Turkey By a communication dated June 15, 1934, the Secretary General of the League of Nations informed the Secretary of State of the deposit on May 28, 1934, of the instrument of ratification by Turkey of the convention for the regulation of whaling, signed at Geneva September 24, 1931. 12 See Bulletin No. 53, February 1934, p. 24. LABOR CERTAIN CONVENTIONS OF THE INTERNATIONAL LABOR CONFERENCE Belgium According to information received from the League of Nations under date of June 26, 1934, the ratifications by Belgium of the following conventions adopted by the International Labor Conference were registered with the Secretariat on June 6, 1934: Italy Convention concerning the marking of the weight on heavy Information has been received from the League of Nations under date of July 5, 1934, to the effect that the instrument of ratification by Italy of the convention concerning forced or compulsory labor, adopted by the International Labor Conference, was registered with the Secretariat on June 18, 1934. Mexico According to information received from the League of Nations under date of June 7, 1934, the instruments of ratification by Mexico of the following conventions adopted by the International Labor Conference were registered with the Secretariat on May 12, 1934: Convention concerning workmen's compensation for accidents; Convention concerning seamen's articles of agreement; Convention concerning the creation of minimum wage fixing Convention concerning the marking of the weight on heavy packages transported by vessels; Convention concerning forced or compulsory labor; Convention concerning the protection against accidents of AMENDMENT TO ARTICLE 393 OF THE TREATY OF VERSAILLES AND THE CORRESPONDING ARTICLES OF THE OTHER TREATIES OF PEACE The constitution of the Governing Body of the International Labor Office is laid down by article 393 of the Treaty of Versailles in the following terms: "The International Labour Office shall be under the control of a Governing Body consisting of 24 persons, appointed in accordance with the following provisions: "The Governing Body of the International Labour Office shall be constituted as follows: "12 persons representing the Governments; "6 persons elected by the Delegates to the Conference representing the employers; "6 persons elected by the Delegates to the Conference representing the workers. "Of the 12 persons representing the Governments 8 shall be nominated by the Members which are of the chief industrial importance, and 4 shall be nominated by the Members selected for this purpose by the Government Delegates to the Conference, excluding the Delegates of the 8 Members mentioned above. แ "Any question as to which are the Members of the chief industrial importance shall be decided by the Council of the League of Nations. The period of Office of the members of the Governing Body will be three years. The method of filling vacancies and other similar questions may be determined by the Governing Body with the approval of the Conference." The Organizing Committee of the International Labor Conference at its first session at Washington, D.C., had charge of the preparations for the first election of the Governing Body. Objections were made by several states to the suggested list of the eight countries selected by the Committee as of chief industrial importance. As a result of these objections to the general composition of the Governing Body, especially to the predominance of the European members which were selected, the reform of the constitution became an important question. Numerous suggestions for reform were reviewed at the subsequent meetings of the Conference. The fourth session of the Inter national Labor Conference adopted at its meeting on November 2, 1922, a resolution, constituting an amendment to article 393 of the Treaty of Versailles and the corresponding articles of the other treaties of peace, which is as follows: "Article 393 of the Treaty of Versailles and the corresponding articles of the other Treaties of Peace shall read as follows: "The International Labour Office shall be under the control of a Governing Body, consisting of thirty-two persons :— "Sixteen representing Governments, 66 Eight representing the employers and "Eight representing the workers. "Of the sixteen persons representing Governments, eight shall be appointed by the members of chief industrial importance, and eight shall be appointed by the members selected for that purpose by the Government delegates to the Conference, excluding the delegates of the eight members mentioned above. Of the sixteen members represented, six shall be non-European States. 'Any question as to which are the members of chief industrial importance shall be decided by the Council of the League of Nations. The persons representing the employers and the persons representing the workers shall be elected, respectively, by the employers' delegates and the workers' delegates to the Conference. Two employers' representatives and two workers' representatives shall belong to non-European States. "The period of office of the Governing Body shall be three years. "The method of filling vacancies and of appointing substitutes, and other similar questions, may be decided by the Governing Body, subject to the approval of the Conference. "The Governing Body shall, from time to time, elect one of its number to act as its chairman, shall regulate its own procedure, and shall fix its own times of meeting. A special meeting shall be held if a written request to that effect is made by at least twelve of the representatives on the Governing Body." By the terms of article 422 of the Treaty of Versailles, the amendment requires the ratification by the states whose representatives compose the Council of the League of Nations and by three-quarters of the Members to bring it into force. According to information received from the League of Nations the amendment has been ratified by the following states: Albania, Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Guatemala, Haiti, Hungary, Irish Free State, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxemburg, Mexico, Netherlands, Panama, Persia, Peru, Portugal, Rumania, El Salvador. Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Uruguay, and Venezuela. A circular letter from the League of Nations, C.L.99.1934.V., dated June 14, 1934, announces the deposit of the ratification by |