CORRESPONDENCE.

CIRCULARS.

CONSERVATION OF NATURAL RESOURCES.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, February 19, 1909.

To certain diplomatic officers abroad.

SIR: There is now assembled in Washington, in response to the invitation of the President, a conference of representatives of the United States of Mexico and of the Dominion of Canada to meet the representatives of the United States of America for the purpose of considering the common interests of the three countries in the conservation of their natural resources. The cordiality with which the neighboring Governments accepted the invitation is no less an augury of the success of this important movement than is the disposition already shown by the conference to recognize the magnitude of the question before them. While recognizing the imperative necessity for the development and use of the great resources upon which the civilization and prosperity of nations must depend, the American Governments realize the vital need of arresting the inroads improvidently or unnecessarily made upon their natural wealth. They comprehend also that as to many of their national resources more than a merely conservative treatment is required; that reparatory agencies should be invoked to aid the processes of beneficent nature, and that the means of restoration and increase should be sought whenever practicable. They see that to the task of devising economical expenditure of resources, which, once gone, are lost forever, there should be superposed the duty of restoring and maintaining productiveness wherever impaired or menaced by wastefulness. In the northern part of the American hemisphere destruction and waste bring other evils in their train. The removal of forests, for instance, results in the aridity of vast tracts, torrential rainfalls break down and carry away the unprotected soil, and regions once abundant in vegetable and animal life become barren. This is a lesson almost as old as the human race. The older countries of Europe, Africa, and the Orient teach a lesson in this regard which has been too little heeded.

Anticipating the wide interest which would naturally be aroused in other countries by the present North American Conference, the President foresaw the probability that it would be the precurser of a world congress. By an aide-mémoire of the 6th of January last the principal Governments were informally sounded to ascertain whether they would look with favor upon an invitation to send delegates to such a conference. The responses have so far been uni

22591°-FR 1909-1

1

formly favorable, and the Conference of Washington has suggested to the President that a similar general conference be called by him. The President feels, therefore, that it is timely to initiate the sug gested world conference for the conservation of national resources by a formal invitation.

By direction of the President, and with the concurrence of Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands, an invitation is extended to the Government of to send delegates to a conference to be held at The Hague at such date as may be found convenient, there to meet and consult the like delegates of the other countries, with a view to considering a general plan for an inventory of the natural resources of the world and to devising a uniform scheme for the expression of the results of such inventory to the end that there may be a general understanding and appreciation of the world's supply of the material elements which underlie the development of civilization and the welfare of the peoples of the earth. It would be appropriate also for the conference to consider the general phases of the correlated problem of checking and, when possible, repairing the injuries caused by the waste and destruction of natural resources and utilities and make recommendations in the interest of their conservation, development, and replenishment.

With such a world inventory and such recommendations the various producing countries of the whole world would be in a better position to cooperate, each for its own good and all for the good of all, toward the safeguarding and betterment of their common means of support. As was said in the preliminary aide-mémoire of January 6:

The people of the whole world are interested in the natural resources of the whole world, benefited by their conservation, and injured by their destruction. The people of every country are interested in the supply of food and of material for manufacture in every other country, not only because these are interchangeable through processes of trade, but because a knowledge of the total supply is necessary to the intelligent treatment of each nation's share of the supply.

Nor is this all. A knowledge of the continuance and stability of perennial and renewable resources is no less important to the world than a knowledge of the quantity or the term remaining for the enjoyment of those resources which when consumed are irreplaceable. As to all the great natural sources of national welfare, the peoples of to-day hold the earth in trust for the peoples to come after them. Reading the lessons of the past aright, it would be for such a conference to look beyond the present to the future.

You will communicate the foregoing to the Government of with the expression of the President's hope that we may be soon informed of its acceptance of the invitation. You will at the same time inform His Excellency that upon informal inquiry a gratifying assurance of the sympathy of the Government of the Netherlands has been received.

I am, etc.,

ALVEY A. ADEE, Acting Secretary of State.

File No. 17231.

WORLD'S CONSERVATION CONGRESS.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, April 21, 1909.

To the diplomatic officers of the United States.

GENTLEMEN: I inclose herewith for your information, in case the Government to which you are accredited should mention the matter to you, a copy of an aide-mémoire handed to the chargé des affaires of the Netherlands legation at Washington explaining the intended scope of the department's instruction of February 19 last concerning the proposed world's congress for the conservation of natural P. C. KNOX.

resources.

I am, etc.,

[Inclosure.] Aide-mémoire.

On the 12th instant Mr. Royaards, the chargé des affaires of the Netherlands legation, called at the Department of State to inquire on behalf of his Government whether it was convenient for the department to give information as to the disposition of the various Governments to participate in the contemplated International Congress for the Conservation of Natural Resources. The remarks of the chargé des affaires also conveyed the impression that his Government had been placed under the misapprehension that the Government of the United States might fail to call upon the Netherlands Government to issue the final invitation to foreign Governments to the congress, which it is proposed to hold at The Hague.

The Department of State welcomes the opportunity to dispel so unfortunate an impression. The instructions sent to the diplomatic representatives of the United States were intended merely to cause them to make preliminary inquiry as to the disposition of the various Governments to join in a congress of the kind contemplated. In this way it was sought to determine the question whether there was sufficient international interest to justify going forward with the project, in order that if this first condition were established a date might be fixed whereupon the Government of the Netherlands would naturally be asked to issue an invitation-a step obviously impossible at the time when the holding of the congress is problematical and the date is not fixed. DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, April 15, 1909.

File No. 19632.

REGISTRATION OF AMERICAN CITIZENS.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,

Washington, June 21, 1909.

To the diplomatic and consular officers of the United States.

GENTLEMEN: Referring to the circular instruction of April 19, 1907, in regard to the registration of American citizens, you are hereby instructed to insert in both the register and the certificate of registration the local address of the person registering and the name and address of the nearest relative in America with whom it would be necessary to communicate in the event of any serious accident to or death of the person registered.

I am, etc.,

HUNTINGTON WILSON,
Acting Secretary.

File No. 20272.

FOURTH PAN-AMERICAN SANITARY CONFERENCE.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
Washington, July 28, 1909.

To the diplomatic officers of the United States in countries of the Western Hemisphere.

GENTLEMEN: The Director of the Bureau of the American Republics, speaking also for the governing board of the bureau, has expressed to the Department of State the opinion that it would be helpful to the adequate representation of the several American Republics at the Fourth International Sanitary Convention, to be held at San Jose, Costa Rica, from December 25, 1909, to January 2, 1910, if the representatives of the United States at the capitals of these Republics should discuss with the ministers for foreign affairs and with local sanitary officers the importance of the gathering in question. Duplicate copies, in English and Spanish, of a pamphlet setting forth the convocation of the Fourth International Sanitary Convention, and documents relating thereto, are inclosed herewith.

Inasmuch as the convention is to be held at the city of San Jose, the Costa Rican Government has undoubtedly taken all appropriate steps to encourage the attendance of representatives of the Governments concerned. These Governments have doubtless received full information on the subject through the Bureau of the American Republics, their representatives at Washington, and from the chairman of the International Sanitary Bureau here. Nevertheless, you may take a convenient opportunity to discuss the matter in the manner suggested by the Director of the Bureau of American Republics, since the project is one which this Government regards as of interest and importance to all American Republics.

I am, etc.,

File No. 774.

P. C. KNOX.

INTERNATIONAL OPIUM CONFERENCE.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, September 1, 1909.

To the diplomatic officers of the United States accredited to the Governments which were represented in the Shanghai International Opium Commission.1

File No. 4834.

THE AMERICAN RED CROSS.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, November 1, 1909.

To the diplomatic and consular officers of the United States.

GENTLEMEN: The diplomatic officers of the United States are instructed to obtain information and forward reports upon the following points. These reports should be forwarded with the least possible delay in order that the American Red Cross, which requests

1 For text see p. 107.

the information, may have it available in case legislation affecting their organization comes up at the impending session of Congress.

First. Which of the signatory powers already had in 1906 legislation adequate for the protection of the sign of the Red Cross and in what that legislation consists; the verbiage of the statutes to be supplied.

Second. What, if any, measures have since been taken by those countries whose legislation was not adequate to protect the emblem of the Red Cross at the time of the signing of the convention, and in what the legislation consists.

At the International Red Cross Convention at Geneva, on July 6, 1906, certain measures were taken which looked to the repression of the abuse of the sign of the Red Cross. The Governments that took part in this conference were the following: Argentine Republic, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Chile, China, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain and Ireland, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Italy, Japan, Kongo Free State, Korea, Luxemburg, Mexico, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, Norway, Persia, Peru, Portugal, Roumania, Russia, Switzerland, Servia, Siam, Spain, Sweden, the United States of America, and Uruguay.

The articles of the treaty above referred to, signed at Geneva, that relate to the distinctive emblem of the Red Cross are as follows (chap. 6, art. 18):

CHAPTER VI.-Distinctive emblem.

ART. 18. Out of respect to Switzerland the heraldic emblem of the red cross on a white ground, formed by the reversal of the Federal colors, is continued as the emblem and distinctive sign of the sanitary service of armies.

ABT. 19. This emblem appears on flags and brassards as well as upon all matériel appertaining to the sanitary service, with the permission of the competent military authority.

ART. 20. The personnel protected in virtue of the first paragraph of article 9, and articles 10 and 11, will wear attached to the left arm a brassard bearing a red cross on a white ground, which will be issued and stamped by competent military authority, and accompanied by a certificate of identity in the case of persons attached to the sanitary service of armies who do not have military uniform.

ART. 21. The distinctive flag of the convention can only be displayed over the sanitary formations and establishments which the convention provides shall be respected, and with the consent of the military authorities. It shall be accompanied by the national flag of the belligerent to whose service the formation or establishment is attached.

Sanitary formations which have fallen into the power of the enemy, however, shall fly no other flag than that of the Red Cross so long as they continue in that situation.

ART. 22. The sanitary formations of neutral countries which, under the conditions set forth in article 11, have been authorized to render their services, shall fly, with the flag of the convention, the national flag of the belligerent to which they are attached. The provisions of the second paragraph of the preceding article are applicable to them.

ART. 23. The emblem of the red cross on a white ground and the words Red Cross or Geneva Cross may only be used, whether in time of peace or war, to protect or designate sanitary formations and establishments, the personnel and matériel protected by the convention.