principal Convention of Madrid, 1920, and to the regulations thereunder, in the matter of postal relations between Persia and the first-mentioned countries, the undersigned, acting in virtue of the powers with which they are furnished and which they have communicated to each other, After confirmation by the representative of the Imperial Persian Government of the assurances given by this Government on the subject of the maintenance and development of adequate postal services in the Persian Gulf and in Arabistan, Have concluded the following Agreement: ART. 1. The offices maintained in the ports of the Persian Gulf by the Postal Administration of British India, and in Arabistan by the Postal Administration of Irak, will be closed from the 31st March, 1923, and will, in consequence, have ceased all public or private postal operations from the 1st April following. 2. From the 1st April, 1923, the Persian Postal Administration will charge itself exclusively with the care of and responsibility for the maintenance and development of regular postal services in the Persian ports of the Persian Gulf and in Arabistan, both those concerning the relations of Persia with foreign countries and those which concern internal postal communications. 3. In order to give effect to the provisions of Article 2 above, the Persian Postal Administration will organise and maintain from the 1st April next the special postal exchange services agreed upon with British India and Irak in the following arrangements concluded by the undersigned on the date of the present Agreement: (1.) Arrangements concerning the exchange of money orders between the two countries. (2.) Arrangements concerning the exchange of valuepayable articles of all kinds with British India, and of noninsured value-payable parcels with Irak. (3.) Arrangement concerning the exchange of parcels with Irak. Independently of the above services, the exchange of parcels between Persia and British India, actually in operation conformably to the Postal Convention of Madrid, 1920, will be maintained, and from the 1st April, 1923, Persia and British India will further participate in their special postal relations in the execution of the Arrangement of Madrid concerning the exchange of insured articles. 4. The provisions of the arrangements mentioned in Article 3 relative to Persian post offices participating in special services will not restrict the right of Persia to extend * Vol. CXIV, page 430. those services to other Persian offices in agreement with the other contracting parties. 5. The Postal Administrations of British India and Irak will notify the closing of the foreign post offices mentioned in Article 1 above to the Administrations of the Universal Postal Union in due course through the proper channel. 6. With a view to safeguard the general interests of the public and of commerce in the relations of the posts of the Persian Gulf with British India and with Irak, and in view of the considerable distance between these regions and the capitals of the respective countries, the Postal Administrations of these countries will agree to furnish the superior postal officials at Bushire, Bombay and Basra with sufficiently extended powers for the direct settlement of matters concerning the special exchanges mentioned in Article 3 above, questions of general order or of principle remaining reserved to the central authorities. 7. The Persian, Indian and Irak Postal Administrations will regulate separately or by mutual agreement as necessary the steps necessary to give effect to the present Agreement, in the spirit of the deliberations which have preceded it, and which are reproduced in the proceedings of the sittings of the Bushire Postal Conference. 8. The present Agreement will have effect from the 1st April, 1923. It will be ratified as soon as possible by the competent authorities of the contracting parties and the acts of ratification will be exchanged at Tehran. In faith of which the respective representatives of British India, Persia and Irak have signed the present Agreement in triplicate at Bushire this 9th day of December, 1922. Les Délégués de la Perse, C. MOLITOR. G. CHAUVIAUX. M. H. A. SHAIRUZI., December 9, 1922. Le Délégué de l'Inde britannique, Le Délégué de l'Irak, A. R. AUGIER. December 9, 1922. L'accord ci-dessus a été signé aujourd'hui, le 9 décembre 1922, devant moi, Kargouzar général et faisant fonctions de Gouverneur. YAMIN-UL-MAMALIK. AGREEMENT between Great Britain and Austria relative to the Settlement of Enemy Debts referred to in Section 3 and the Annex thereto of Part X of the Treaty of Saint-Germain.-Vienna, August 27 and October 2, 1920. (No. 1.)-Memorandum communicated to the Federal Government of Austria by His Britannic Majesty's Representative at Vienna on August 27, 1920. His Britannic Majesty's Government having given notice that they adopt Section 3 and the annex thereto of Part X of the Treaty of Saint-Germain* as between Austria on the one hand and the United Kingdom and the British Colonies and Protectorates, with the exception of Egypt, on the other hand, and being desirous of affording all opportunity to the Austrian Government for the full execution of their obligations thereunder, are prepared to agree that the said section and annex shall be subject in their application to the provisions set out below. His Majesty's Government expect that the Austrian Government will agree to accept notice of the adoption of the said section and annex as between Austria and any of the British Dominions or India if given at any time within a period of one month from the present date. 1. Notwithstanding the provisions of Article 248 (a) of the Treaty of Saint-Germain, direct communication may be permitted with the consent of the two Clearing Offices between the interested parties with regard to the settlement of debts due by Austrian nationals to British nationals. Such settlements may be permitted with the sanction of the Clearing Offices in each case. The British Clearing Office will be prepared to consider applications made before the 31st March, 1921, for the release of property, rights and interests chargeable under paragraph 4 of the annex to Article 249 of the Treaty with a view to the settlement of debts by amicable arrangement, provided that the proportion of the assets so to be released to the amount of the debts removed by the arrangement from the operation of the Clearing Offices is not such as, in the opinion of the British Clearing Office, will have the effect of reducing the dividend payable from Austrian property subject to the charge to British creditors generally. 2. The proceeds of liquidation of Austrian property, rights and interests, and cash assets of Austrians, within the territories of the British Empire in respect of which notice has been given of the adoption of the Clearing Office system, will be credited to the Austrian Government in the account referred to in paragraph 11 of the annex to Article 248. Vol. CXII, page 428. * Similarly, the proceeds of liquidation of British property, rights and interests, and cash assets of British nationals, for which the Austrian Government is liable to account in accordance with the provisions of Section 4 of Part X of the Treaty of Saint-Germain, shall be credited to the British Government in this account. Compensation awarded by the Mixed Arbitral Tribunal under paragraph (e) of Article 249 shall also be credited in the same account. 3. His Majesty's Government expect that the Austrian Government will use its best endeavours to collect the debts due through the Clearing Offices from its nationals to British nationals as promptly as possible. This requirement applies, in the case of debts originally payable in kronen, only to the original amount in kronen of such debts, with interest thereon at the rate provided by Section 3 of Part X of the Treaty. His Britannic Majesty's Government will not require payment of the balances referred to in paragraph 1 of the annex to Article 248 within the periods therein prescribed. In return, the Austrian Clearing Office shall pay to the British Clearing Office not later than the 31st March and the 30th September in each year beginning with the year 1921 the sterling value of the amounts collected from Austrian nationals during the previous six months, the sum to be paid in each half-year being not less than £250,000 sterling or the sterling equivalent of 140,000,000 kronen, whichever of the two is the greater. Each of the first eight minimum payments to be made may, however, be reduced to the extent of £100,000 or the sterling equivalent of 56,000,000 kronen by the amounts previously paid in cash, direct by Austrian debtors to British creditors in accordance with arrangements sanctioned by the Clearing Offices, and provided out of funds which are not chargeable under the Treaty. Such payments shall continue until the balance against Austria in the account above referred to, with simple interest at 5 per cent., shall have been fully met. The payment to be made by the 31st March, 1921, shall include the sterling value at the current rate of exchange of the proceeds of liquidation and cash assets of British nationals. referred to in Article 249 (h) (1) of the Treaty of Peace. 4. His Majesty's Government propose that the detailed arrangements for the restitution of British property in Austria should form the subject of a further agreement to be arrived at at the earliest possible date. 5. Subject to the right of the British authorities to refuse permission in any particular case and to the laws for the time being in force, Austrian nationals will be permitted, upon request notified to the appropriate British authority, to bid at any sale by auction of their property in the United Kingdom. 6. It is to be understood that none of the above provisions affect the liability of the Austrian Government under the Treaty of Peace in respect of the currency and rate of exchange at which moneys shall be credited through the Clearing Offices. (No. 2.)-The Austrian Secretary of State to the British Representative in Vienna. (Translation.) Austrian Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Vienna, October 2, 1920. By a note dated the 27th August, 1920, His Britannic Majesty's Government made known the conditions subject to which Section 3 and the annex thereto of Part X of the Treaty of Saint-Germain between the United Kingdom and the British Colonies and Protectorates, with the exception of Egypt, on the one hand, and the Austrian Republic on the other, would be applied. The Government of the Austrian Republic would accept those conditions with an expression of thanks, and declares it will take the necessary steps to ensure their observance and execution by the Austrian Republic and its citizens in so far as the United Kingdom and India and New Zealand, which have notified their adhesion within the time appointed, are concerned. The Austrian Government, however, takes this opportunity of expressing the hope that still further facilities will be granted to it and to its citizens as regards the settlement of private pre-war debts. I have, &c. The Secretary of State, EXCHANGE OF NOTES between Great Britain and Austria relative to the Importation from Great Britain into Austria of Opium and Similar Drugs.-Vienna, May 6 and July 14, 1921. (No. 1.)-The British Minister at Vienna to the Austrian Minister for Foreign Affairs. Sir, Vienna, May 6, 1921. I HAVE the honour to inform you that in pursuance of the steps which His Majesty's Government are taking to assist in preventing the improper consumption of opium, morphine, cocaine and similar drugs, they have prohibited the exportation from the United Kingdom to all destinations of the drugs specified below, except under licence. Applications for the |