Treaty of commerce between the United States and the Ethiopian Empire. Signed at Addis-Ababa, June 27, 1914; ratification advised by the Senate, September 15, 1914; ratified by the President, September 19, 1914; Prince Lidj Yassou notified of ratification, December 20, 1914; proclaimed, August 9, 1920.

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA,

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas, a Treaty between the United States of America and the Ethiopian Empire, to regulate and develop the commercial relations between the two countries, was concluded by their respective plenipotentiaries at Addis-Ababa, on the twenty-seventh day of June, one thousand nine hundred and fourteen, the original of which Treaty, being in English and Amharic, is word for word as follows:

Treaty of Commerce.

His Royal Highness, Prince Lidj Yassou, successor of Menelik II, King of Kings of Ethiopia and the United States of America, having agreed to regulate the commercial relations between the two countries and develop them, and render them more and more advantageous to the two contracting Powers:

His Royal Highness, Prince Lidj Yassou in the name of the Empire and John Q. Wood, in the name of the United States of America, have agreed and stipulated that which follows:

June 27, 1914.

Commercial relations with Ethiopia. Preamble.

Contracting Powers.

Plenipotentiaries.

Article I.

The citizens of the two Powers, like the citizens of other countries, Freedom of travel shall be able freely to travel and to transact business throughout the and business. extent of the territories of the two contracting Powers.

Article II.

Security of persons

In order to facilitate commercial relations, the two Governments and property.
shall assure, throughout the extent of their respective territories, the
security of those engaged in business therein, and of their property.

Article III.

The two contracting Governments shall reciprocally grant to all citizens of the United States of America and to the citizens of Ethiopia, all the advantages which they shall accord to the most favored Power in respect to customs duties, imposts and jurisdiction.

Article IV.

Throughout the extent of the Ethiopian Empire, the citizens of the United States of America shall have the use of the telegraphs, posts and all others means of transportation upon the same terms as the citizens of Ethiopia or of the most favored foreign Power.

Most favored nation advantages.

Reciprocal use of transportation, etc.

Diplomatic sentatives.

Duration.

Ratification,

Signatures.

Article V.

repre- In order to perpetuate and strengthen the friendly relations which exist between Ethiopia and the United States of America, the two Governments agree to receive reciprocally, representatives acceptable to the two Governments; Diplomatic representatives appointed by either Government who are not acceptable to the Government to which they are accredited shall be replaced.

Notification of ratification.

Proclamation.

Article VI.

This treaty shall continue in force for a period of four years after the date of its ratification by the Government of the United States. If neither of the contracting parties, one year before the expiration of that period, notifies officially its determination to terminate the treaty, it shall remain in force for a further period of ten years; and so on thereafter unless notice is given officially by one of the contracting Powers, one year before the expiration of said period, of its intention to terminate said treaty.

Article VII.

The present treaty shall take effect if ratified by the Government
of the United States, and if this ratification shall be notified to His
Royal Highness Prince Lidj Yassou, successor of Menelik II, King
of Kings of Ethiopia within the period of six months.
His Royal Highness Prince Lidj Yassou in the name of his Em-
pire; and John Q. Wood in virtue of his full powers, in the name
of the United States of America, have signed the present treaty,
written in double text, Amharic and English and in identical terms.
Done at Addis-Abeba, this twenty seventh day of June, one thou-
sand nine hundred and fourteen, in the year of our Lord.
JOHN Q. WOOD

[Amharic text not printed.]

[Seal of Prince Lidj Yassou]

And whereas, by Article VII of the said Treaty it is provided that the said Treaty shall take effect if ratified by the Government of the United States, and if this ratification shall be notified to His Royal Highness, Prince Lidj Yassou, successor of Menelik II, King of Kings of Ethiopia, within the period of six months;

And whereas the said Treaty was duly ratified by the Government of the United States, and the said ratification was notified to His Royal Highness Prince Lidj Yassou on December 20, 1914:

Now, therefore, be it known that I, Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, have caused the said Treaty to be made public, to the end that the same and every article and clause thereof may be observed and fulfilled by the United States and the citizens thereof.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.

Done in the District of Columbia, this ninth day of August in the year of our Lord one thousand nine hundred and twenty, [SEAL.] and of the Independence of the United States of America the one hundred and forty-fifth.

By the President:

BAINBRIDGE COLBY

Secretary of State.

WOODROW WILSON

August 21, 1920.

June 10, 1920.

Parcel Post Convention between the United States and the Colony of August 21, 1920. Fiji. Signed at Suva June 10, 1920, at Washington August 21, 1920; approved by the President September 1, 1920.

PARCELS-POST CONVENTION BETWEEN THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA AND THE COLONY OF FIJI.

Parcel post conven

For the purpose of making better postal arrangements between tion with Fiji. the United States of America and the Colony of Fiji, the undersigned, Preamble. Albert S. Burleson, Postmaster General of the United States of America, and Douglas Roy Stewart, Acting Colonial Secretary of Fiji, by virtue of authority vested in them, have agreed upon the following articles for the establishment of a Parcels-Post system of exchanges between the United States and the Colony of Fiji:

ARTICLE I.

The provisions of this Convention relate only to parcels of mail matter to be exchanged by the system herein provided for, and do not affect the arrangements now existing under the Universal Postal Union Convention, which will continue as heretofore; and all the agreements hereinafter contained apply exclusively to mails exchanged under these articles.

ARTICLE II.

Scope of convention

Articles admitted to

Requirements.

1. There shall be admitted to the mails exchanged under this Con- the mails.
vention, articles of merchandise and mail matter-except letters,
postcards, and written matter-of all kinds, that are admitted under
any conditions to the domestic mails of the country of origin, except
that no packet may exceed eleven pounds (or five kilograms) in
weight, nor the following dimensions: Greatest length in any direc-
tion, three feet six inches; greatest length and girth combined, six
feet; and must be so wrapped or enclosed as to permit their contents to
be easily examined by postmasters and customs officers; and except
that the following that the following articles are prohibited admission
to the mails exchanged under this Convention: Publications which
violate the copyright laws of the country of destination; poisons,
and explosives or inflammable substances; fatty substances, liquids
and those which easily liquefy, confections and pastes; live or dead
animals, except dead insects and reptiles when thoroughly dried;
fruits and vegetables which easily decompose, and substances which
exhale a bad odor; lottery tickets, lottery advertisements, or lottery
circulars; all obscene or immoral articles; articles which may in any
way damage or destroy the mails or injure the persons handling
them.

Articles prohibited.

Freedom from In

2. All admissible articles of merchandise mailed in one country spection, etc.
for the other, or received in one country from the other, shall be
free from any detention or inspection whatever, except such as is
required for collection of customs duties, and shall be forwarded by
the most speedy means to their destination, being subject in their
transmission to the laws and regulations of each country respec-
tively.

Letters not accompany parcels.

Rejection if found.

ARTICLE III.

1. A letter or communication of the nature of personal correspondence must not accompany, be written on, or enclosed with any parcel.

2. If such be found, the letter will be placed in the mails if separable, and if the communication be inseparably attached, the whole package will be rejected. If, however, any such should inadvertently be forwarded, the country of destination will collect double rates of postage according to the Universal Postal Union Convention. No inclosure for 3. No parcel may contain packages intended for delivery at an

other address.

Rates of postage.

In United States.

In Fiji.

Delivery.

Post, p. 1717.

address other than that borne by the parcel itself. If such enclosed packages be detected, they must be sent forward singly, charged with new and distinct Parcel-Post rates.

ARTICLE IV

1. The following rates of postage shall in all cases be required to be fully prepaid with postage stamps of the country of origin, viz: 2. In the United States, for a parcel not exceeding one pound in weight twelve cents; and for each additional pound, or fraction of a pound, twelve cents.

3. In the Colony of Fiji, for a parcel not exceeding one pound in weight, sixpence; and for each additional pound or fraction of a pound, sixpence.

4. The parcels shall be promptly delivered to addressees at the postoffices of address in the country of destination free of charge for postage; but the country of destination may, at its option, levy and collect from the addressee for interior service and delivery a charge the amount of which is to be fixed according to its own regulations, but which shall in no case exceed five cents (or 2 pence) for each parcel, whatever its weight.

ARTICLE V.

Customs declaration. 1. The sender of each parcel shall make a customs declaration, pasted upon or attached to the package, upon a special form provided for the purpose (see Form 1 annexed hereto) giving a general description of the parcel, an accurate statement of its contents and value, date of mailing, and the sender's signature and place of residence, and place of address.

customs duties, etc.

Parcels subject to 2. The parcels in question shall be subject in the country of destination to all customs duties and all customs regulations in force in that country for the protection of its customs revenues; and the customs duties properly chargeable thereon shall be collected on delivery, in accordance with the customs regulations of the country of destination; but neither sender nor addressee shall be subject subject to the payment of any charge for fines or penalties on account of failure to comply with any customs regulation.

Retention of fees.

tation.

ARTICLE VI.

Each country shall retain to its own use the whole of the postages and delivery fees it collects on said parcels; consequently this Convention will give rise to no separate accounts between the two

countries.

ARTICLE VII.

Method of transpor- 1. The parcels shall be considered as a component part of the mails exchanged direct between the United States and the Colony of Fiji to be despatched to destination by the country of origin at its cost

August 21, 1920.

and by such means as it provides; but must be forwarded, at the option of the despatching office, either in boxes prepared expressly for the purpose or in ordinary mail sacks, marked "Parcels-Post," and securely sealed with wax or otherwise, as may be mutually provided by regulations hereunder.

sacks.

2. Unless otherwise mutually agreed upon, each country shall turn of empty promptly return empty to the despatching office by next mail, all such bags and boxes.

Descriptive list.

3. Although articles admitted under this Convention will be trans- Packing.
mitted as aforesaid between the exchange offices, they should be so
carefully packed as to be safely transmitted in the open mails of
either country, both in going to the exchange office in the country of
origin and to the office of address in the country of destination.
4. Each despatch of a Parcels-Post mail must be accompanied by a
descriptive list, in duplicate, of all the parcels sent, showing dis-
tinctly the list number of each parcel, the name of the sender, the
name of the addressee with address of destination, and the declared
contents and value; and must be enclosed in one of the boxes or
sacks sacks of such despatch (see Form 2 annexed hereto).

ARTICLE VIII.

Post, p. 1718.

Exchanges of mails under this Convention from any place in either Exchange offices. country to any place in the other shall be effected through the postoffices of both countries already designated as exchange post-offices, or through such others as may be hereafter agreed upon; under such regulations relative to the details of the exchange as may be mutually determined to be essential to the security and expedition of the mails and the protection of the customs revenues.

ARTICLE IX.

1. As soon as the mail shall have reached the office of destination that office shall check the contents of the mail.

Receipt of mail.

Substitute parcel

2. In the event of the parcel bill not having been received, a sub- bill. stitute should be at once prepared.

3. Any errors in the entries on the parcel bill which may be discovered should, after verification by a second officer, be corrected and noted for report to the despatching office on a form "Verification Certificate", which should be sent in a special envelope.

4. If a parcel advised on the bill be not received, after the nonreceipt has been verified by a second officer, the entry on the bill should be cancelled and the fact reported at once.

Correction of errors.

Nonreceipt of parcel.

Insufficient pay

5. If a parcel be observed to be insufficiently prepaid, it must ment. not be taxed with deficient postage, but the circumstance must be reported on the verification certificate form.

6. Should a parcel be received in a damaged or imperfect condition, full particulars should be reported on the same form.

Damaged parcels.

Presumption of de

7. If no verification certificate or note of error be received, a livery.
parcel mail shall be considered as duly delivered, having been found
on examination correct in all respects.

ARTICLE X.

Inability to deliver,

1. If a parcel cannot be delivered as addressed, or if refused, it etc.
must be returned without charge directly to the despatching office
of exchange, at the expiration of thirty days from its receipt at the
office of destination; and the country of origin may collect from the
sender for the return of the parcel a sum equal to the postage when
first mailed.