ART. 15. Russia undertakes to take all steps necessary to secure the recognition by the Transcaucasian Republics, in special treaties which they are to conclude with Turkey, of such stipulations of the present treaty as relate directly to them. ART. 16. The present treaty is subject to ratification. The ratifications shall be exchanged at Kars in the shortest possible time. With the exception of Article 13, the present treaty will become valid from the moment of exchange of ratifications. The above-mentioned plenipotentiaries certify the stipulations contained in this treaty by appending hereto their signatures and by the application of their seals. Done in two copies on March 16, 1921 (1337, Turkish calendar), at Moscow. (For Russia): GEORGI CHICHERIN, DJELAL KORKMASSOFF. (For Turkey): VIII. THE SUCCESSION STATES OF THE AUSTRIAN EMPIRE Only an intimate familiarity with the treaty relations of the European states before the World War would afford the proper perspective for judging to what extent the peace made over the continental scheme of things. Reparation, boundaries, ore regions get into the news headlines, but, important as they are, such questions can easily be given an exaggerated emphasis. Fully three-fourths of the treaties of peace in quantity have attracted no attention whatever. They represent the great mass of detailed arrangements necessary between nations, which, for one reason or another, have or were given no political solution. They were settled on their merits, not on the basis of national policies. Many other questions, however, remained, some untouched by the treaties of peace and others resulting from the fact that those treaties did not completely settle all the questions they touched. Such was particularly the case with the states which succeeded to the territory and interests of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. New boundaries cut athwart established railroad lines in awkward places. Instances could be given where a farmer went abroad to milk his cow in his own pasture and ought to pay importation duty on the milk at the frontier between the pasture and the house. 1. THE PORTOROSE CONFERENCE The succession states tackled the problem of adjusting treaty provisions to practical lines at a conference convened at Rome from April 6 to June 15, 1921. It was found that economic questions broader in scope than contemplated by the treaties of St. Germain-en-Laye and Trianon must also be studied and therefore the conference adjourned to meet with an enlarged agenda at Portorose in the following November. The Portorose conference was largely due to the initiative of Colonel Clarence Browning Smith, American representative on the Reparation Commission at Vienna, who served as American observer at the conference. The scope of the conference and its results are indicated by the final protocol, which reads1: International Conciliation, July, 1922. No. 176, p. 253. The President of the Austrian Republic; the President of the United States of America; His Majesty the King of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes; the President of the French Republic; His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland; His Highness the Regent of Hungary; His Majesty the King of Italy; the Chief Executive of the Polish State; His Majesty the King of Rumania; and the President of the Czechoslovak Republic, Considering the difficulties opposing the free development of commercial relations, of postal, telegraph and telephone services and of transportation between the states that have acquired territories of the former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, or that have arisen from the dismemberment of that monarchy, Desiring, moreover, to overcome as far as possible the obstacles hindering the economic rehabilitation of those states, Have agreed to seek by common accord those measures whose application shall be most prompt and effective with that end in view. ... For this purpose have delegated as their representatives: . . . Who, united in conference at Portorose, recognize as answering the requirements indicated above, the provisions contained in the following instruments. These instruments, annexed to the present protocol agreement, have been agreed upon and signed by the representatives of the states to which have been alloted territories of the former AustroHungarian Monarchy, or which have arisen from the dismemberment of that monarchy. 1. A Protocol signed by the representatives of Austria, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Rumania, the Serb-Croat-Slovene Kingdom and Czechoslovakia, to facilitate commercial exchange; 2. An Arrangement regarding postal relations between Austria, Hungary, Italy, the Serb-Croat-Slovene Kingdom and Czechoslovakia, with a final Protocol; 3. A special Arrangement regarding postal relations between Austria, Hungary, Rumania and Czechoslovakia, with a final Protocol; 4. A Recommendation regarding an Aerial Postal Convention; 5. A Recommendation regarding a Postal Conference; 6. A Recommendation regarding the official names of places; 7. An Arrangement concluded between Austria, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Rumania, the Serb-Croat-Slovene Kingdom and Czechoslovakia, regarding the amelioration and simplification of telephone and telegraph services between those states; 8. A Recommendation regarding telegraph and telephone services; 9. Agreements concluded between Austria, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Rumania, the Serb Croat-Slovene Kingdom and Czechoslovakia regarding the temporary régime for the circulation of the rolling stock of the former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, applicable until the final distribution of the stock; 10. Agreements concluded between Austria, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Rumania, the Serb-Croat-Slovene Kingdom and Czechoslovakia concerning the restitution of privately-owned railway cars; 11. Agreements concluded between Austria, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Rumania, the Serb-Croat-Slovene Kingdom and Czechoslovakia regarding the following questions: A. Mutual assistance in rolling stock; B. Repairs of rolling stock; 12. A Recommendation regarding confiscated and captured rolling stock belonging to the Allied and Associated Powers; 13. Agreements concluded between Austria, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Rumania, the Serb-Croat-Slovene Kingdom and Czechoslovakia for the regulation of international railway traffic; 14. A Recommendation regarding the convening of an International Conference to study European General Conventions on the regulation of international transportation; 15. A Recommendation for the standardization of tariff rates for international railway traffic and the adoption of a uniform currency for international tariffs; 16. A Recommendation regarding the appointing of a Commission to study the essential requirements of the railways and the resources to be drawn upon to satisfy such requirements; 17. A Declaration regarding the facilities to be granted certain categories of travelers; 18. A Protocol signed by the Representatives of Austria, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Rumania, the Serb-Croat-Slovene Kingdom and Czechoslovakia regarding the actual régime affecting passports and visas. In witness whereof the above indicated delegates have affixed their signatures to the present Protocol. Done at Portorose, the twenty-third day of November, one thousand nine hundred and twenty-one, in French and in Italian, in a single copy which shall remain deposited in the archives of the Government of the Kingdom of Italy, and of which authenticated copies shall be sent to the Governments of all the powers represented at the conference. Most of these documents were executory. The others have not been very successful in attaining ratification, but their principles were recognized as sound and their adoption in the form of laws, regulations or in substance in bipartite treaties has had a tremendous effect in improving political and economic relations between the states primarily parties to them. Two months later the seven succession states-Austria, Hungary, Italy, Poland, Rumania, the Serb-Croat-Slovene State and Czechoslovakia-met in conference at Graz to solve the problem of the circulation of persons throughout their territories, as provided in the 18th Portorose protocol. The League of Nations had convened a conference on this matter at Paris in October, 1920, and its proposals were available for the Portorose conference, which, however, was unable to give the subject a formal solution. At Graz on January 27, 1922, they signed an agreement concerning passports and visas which duly entered into force and settled perhaps the most aggravating problem among those states.1 2. CZECHOSLOVAKIA AND POLAND The succession states are confronted with a vast number of problems respecting their neighborly relations. Czechoslovakia, which took the lead in the Little Entente, also assumed leadership in adjusting these questions. With Poland her relations were most acute by reason of unsettled territorial matters, and it was with Warsaw that she negotiated her first political agreement outside of the Little Entente. The agreement is notable because it stipulates the settlement of all disputes by the arbitral or judicial processes. It was signed at Prague on November 6, 1921, and reads': Equally anxious to safeguard the peace in Europe and firmly desirous of organizing relations between Czechoslovakia and Poland on the basis of the solidarity of their mutual political and economic interests, the Czechoslovak Government and the Polish Government are agreed upon concluding a political agreement. To this end, the chiefs of the two states have named as their plenipotentiaries: The President of the Czechoslovak Republic, his President of the Council and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Edouard Benesh, The Chief of the Polish State, his Minister for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Constantin Skirmunt, who, after having exchanged their full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following engagements: 'Text in League of Nations, Treaty Series, IX, 291. "Translated from L'Europe nouvelle, May 5, 1923, p. 569. |