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Text of the Treaty for the Cession of the Danish West Indies to the United States

Collection
Historical Records
Sub-shelf
Internet Archive (V.I. texts)
Kind
Historical Record
Date
1902-01-01
Pages
3
Text
Native Text

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Early  Journal  Content  on  JSTOR,  Free  to  Anyone  in  the  World   This  article  is  one  of  nearly  500,000  scholarly  works  digitized  and  made  freely  available  to  everyone  in   the  world  by  JSTOR.     Known  as  the  Early  Journal  Content,  this  set  of  works  include  research  articles,  news,  letters,  and  other   writings  published  in  more  than  200  of  the  oldest  leading  academic  journals.  The  works  date  from  the   mid-­‐seventeenth  to  the  early  twentieth  centuries.      We  encourage  people  to  read  and  share  the  Early  Journal  Content  openly  and  to  tell  others  that  this   resource  exists.    People  may  post  this  content  online  or  redistribute  in  any  way  for  non-­‐commercial   purposes.   Read  more  about  Early  Journal  Content  at  http://about.jstor.org/participate-­‐jstor/individuals/early-­‐ journal-­‐content.                     JSTOR  is  a  digital  library  of  academic  journals,  books,  and  primary  source  objects.  JSTOR  helps  people   discover,  use,  and  build  upon  a  wide  range  of  content  through  a  powerful  research  and  teaching   platform,  and  preserves  this  content  for  future  generations.  JSTOR  is  part  of  ITHAKA,  a  not-­‐for-­‐profit   organization  that  also  includes  Ithaka  S+R  and  Portico.  For  more  information  about  JSTOR,  please   contact  support@jstor.org.   1902. THE ADVOCATE OF PEACE. 55 Text of the Treaty for the Cession of the Danish West Indies to the United States. Article 1. His Majesty the King of Denmark agrees to cede to the United States, immediately upon the exchange of the ratification of this convention, the islands of St. Thomas, St. John, Sainte Croix, in the West Indies, with the adjacent islands and rocks, com prising in said cession all title and claims of title to the territories in and about said islands over which the crown of Denmark now exercises, asserts, or claims jurisdiction. The cession conveys "to the United States the said islands and appurtenances in full sovereignty, entire and unencumbered, except as stipulated in the present convention, with all the dominion, rights and powers which Denmark now possesses, exercises, asserts and claims therein ; it being, however, understood and agreed that the consummation of said cession does not import the transference to the United States of the financial claims now held by Denmark against the colo nial treasuries of the islands, it being agreed that these claims are altogether extinguished in consequence of the cession. And it is moreover understood and agreed that the United States will assume and continue to discharge from the time of the cession the obligation heretofore incumbent upon the Danish government toward the St. Thomas Floating Dock Company and the West Indian and Panama Telegraph Company. No responsibility of any kind whatever is incumbent on the Danish government, nor on the United States government, as to the guarantee which, conformably to the ordinance of June 16, 1876, the colonial treasury of Sainte Croix has assumed with regard to the payment of an interest of 5 per cent, per annum to the holders of the shares of " the Sainte Croix Failessukkerkogierer" Company, limited. Art. 2. The aforesaid title conveys to the United States the absolute fee and ownership of all public gov ernment or crown lands, public buildings, ports, harbors, fortifications, barracks and all other public property of every kind and description belonging to the government of Denmark, together with every right and appurtenance thereunto appertaining. It being, however, agreed that the arms and military stores existing in the islands at the time of the cession and belonging to the government of Denmark shall remain the property of that govern ment and shall, as soon as circumstances shall permit, be removed by it, unless they, or parts thereof, may before have been bought by the government of the United States upon a special agreement made with the govern ment of Denmark; it being, however, understood that flags and colors, uniforms and such arms or military objects as are marked as being the property of the Danish government shall not be included in such pur chase. It is, moreover, agreed and understood: First, that the congregations belonging to the Danish national church shall remain in possession of the churches which are now used by them, together with the parson ages appertaining thereunto, and Secondly, that sums due to the Danish treasury by individuals are reserved and do not pass by this cession; and where the Danish government shall at the time of the cession hold property taken over by the Danish treasury for sums due by individuals, such property shall not pass by this cession, but the Danish government shall sell or dispose of such property and remove its proceeds within two years from the date of the exchange of ratifications of this convention, the United States government being entitled to sell by public auction, to the credit of the Danish government, what may not have been sold before the expiration of the said term of two years. The Danish government retains the claims held by the same as a creditor against the Sainte Croix Fallessukker kogierer Company, limited; should that government acquire the ownership of property belonging to this company in the island of Sainte Croix, the above pro vision regarding a sale within two years shall apply to such property; the two years, however, to begin from the date of the acquirement of ownership of said prop erty, which shall be within three years from the exchange of the ratifications of the present treaty. Any government archives, papers and documents rela tive to the islands ceded and the dominion of the same which may now be existing there shall pass by this ces sion, but an authenticated copy of such documents or papers as may be acquired will be at all times given by the United States to the Danish government or to such properly authorized Danish officers or subjects as may apply for them. Art. 3. Danish subjects residing in said island may remain therein or remove therefrom at will, retaining in either event all their rights of property, including the right to sell or dispose of such property or its proceeds; in case they remain in the islands, they shall continue, until otherwise provided, to enjoy all the private, mu nicipal rights and liberties secured to them by the laws now in force. If the present laws are altered, the said inhabitants shall not thereby be placed in a less favorable position in respect to the above-mentioned rights and liberties than they now enjoy. Those who remain in the islands may preserve their allegiance to the crown of Denmark by making, before a court of record, within two years from the date of the exchange of ratifications of this convention, a declaration of their decision to preserve such allegiance, in default of which declaration they shall be held to have renounced it and to have accepted allegiance to the United States; but such elec tion of Danish allegiance shall not, after the lapse of said term of two years, be a bar to their renunciation of their preserved Danish allegiance and their election of allegiance to the United States and admission to the nationality thereof on the same terms as may be provided according to the laws of the United States for other inhabitants of the islands. The civil rights and the political status of the inhab itants of the islands shall be determined by the Con gress, subject to the stipulations contained in the present convention. Danish subjects not residing in the islands, but owning property therein at the time of the cession, shall retain their rights of property, including the right to sell or dispose of such property, being placed in this regard on the same basis as the Danish subjects residing in the islands and remaining therein or removing therefrom, to whom the first paragraph of this article relates. 56 THE ADVOCATE OF PEACE. March, Art. 4. Formal delivery of the territory and prop erty ceded as aforesaid shall be. made immediately after the payment by the United States of the sum of money stipulated in the fifth article hereof; but the cession, with the right of immediate possession, is nevertheless to be deemed complete on the exchange of the ratifica tions of this convention, and any Danish troops which may be in the islands aforesaid shall be withdrawn so soon thereafter as may be practicable, but not later than six months after the said exchange; it being, however, understood that if those persons, after having terminated their Danish service, do not wish to leave the islands, they shall be allowed to remain there as civilians. The colonial treasury shall continue to pay the yearly allowances now given to heretofore retired functionaries appointed in the islands but holding no royal commis sions, unless those allowances may have until now been paid in Denmark. Art. 5. In full consideration of the cession of said islands, in full sovereignty, entire and unencumbered, except as stipulated in the present convention, the United States agrees to pay within ninety days from the date of the exchange of the ratification of this conven tion, in the city of Washington, to the diplomatic repre sentative or other agent of His Majesty the King of Denmark, duly authorized to receive the money, the sum of five million dollars in gold coin of the United States. Art. 6. In case of differences of opinion arising between the high contracting parties in regard to the interpretation or application of this convention, such differences, if they cannot be regulated through diplo matic negotiations, shall be submitted for arbitration to the Permanent Court of Arbitration at The Hague. Art. 7. The ratifications of this convention shall be exchanged at Washington within six months from the date thereof, after it shall have been ratified by both the high contracting parties according to their respective procedure. In faith whereof the respective plenipotentiaries have signed and sealed this convention in the English and Danish languages. Done at Washington the 24th day of January, in the year of Our Lord 1902. (Signed) John Hay. [Seal] C. Brtjn. [Seal] Terms of the New Anglo-Japanese Treaty. The following treaty between Great Britain and Japan was signed at London on January 30, by Lord Lansdowne, British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, and Baron Hayashi, Japanese Minister at London. It goes into effect immediately, is to continue in force five years, and to remain binding for one year after it is "denounced" by either party. It is also to remain in force until peace is declared, if at the end of its term either of the countries should be engaged in war. " The governments of Great Britain and Japan, actuated solely by a desire to maintain the status quo and general peace in the extreme East, and being, moreover, especially interested in maintaining the independence and territorial integrity of China and Korea, and in securing equal opportunities in those countries for the commerce and industry of all nations, hereby agree as follows: "Article 1. The high contracting parties, having mutually recognized the independence of China and Korea, declare themselves to be entirely uninfluenced by any aggressive tendencies in either country. Having in view, however, their especial interests, of which those of Gieat Britain relate principally to China, while Japan, in addition to the interests she possesses in China, is interested in a peculiar degree, politically as well as commercially and industrially, in Korea, the signatories recognize that it will be admissible for either of them to take such measures-as. may be indispensable in order to safeguard these interests, if these be threatened either by the aggressive action of any other power or by dis turbances arising in China or Korea, necessitating the intervention of either of the contracting parties for the protection of the lives and property of its subjects. "Art. 2. If either Great Britain or Japan, in defense of their respective interests, as above described, should become involved in a war with another power, the other contracting party will maintain strict neutrality, and use its efforts to prevent other powers from joining in the hostilities against its ally. " Art. 3. If, in the above event, any other power or powers should join in hostilities against that ally, the other contracting party will come to its assistance, and will conduct war in common and make peace in mutual agreement with it. " Art. 4. The contracting parties agree that neither of them will, without consulting the other, enter into separate arrangements with another power to the preju dice of the interests above described. " Art. 5. Whenever, in the opinion of either Great Britain or Japan, the above-mentioned interests are jeopardized, the two governments will communicate with one another fully and frankly." Members of the Permanent Interna tional Court of Arbitration. Austria-Hungary. ? His Excellency Count Frederic Schonborn, Doctor of Laws, President of the Imperial Court of Justice, former Minister of Justice, Member of the House of Lords of the Austrian Parliament, etc.; His Excellency M. D. De Szilagyi, former Minister of Justice, Member of the Chamber of Deputies of the Hungarian Parliament, etc.; Count Albert Apponyi, Member of the Chamber of Magnates and of the Cham ber of Deputies of the Hungarian Parliament, etc. M. Henri Lammasch, Doctor of Laws, Member of the House of Lords of the Austrian Parliament, etc. Belgium. ? His Excellency M. Beernaert, Minister, Member of the Chamber of Representatives, etc.; His Excellency Baron Lambermont, Minister, Envoy Extra ordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, Secretary-Gen eral of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Chevalier Descamps, Senator; M. Gustave Rolin-Jacquemyns, for mer Minister of the Interior.