2. Loss, destruction, or mutilation of passport.-A passport, whether valid or expired, is an important document. It should not be allowed to pass into the possession of an unauthorized person.

3. The loss, destruction, or mutilation of a valid passport should be reported immediately to the Passport Division, Department of State, Washington, D. C., or to the nearest American consular officer.

4. As a rule, new passports can be issued in such cases only after an exhaustive inquiry.

5. The application for a new passport to replace a valid passport which has been lost, destroyed, or mutilated must be accompanied by a detailed statement of the circumstances under which the passport was lost, destroyed, or mutilated.

6. Passports may be amended to inIclude the American wife and American minor children of the person to whom issued, upon the written request of the bearer. The passport agents in Boston, New York, Chicago, New Orleans, San Francisco, and Seattle have authority to amend passports. Passports may also be

amended by American consular officers and, in the absence thereof, by American diplomatic officers; and they may be amended by the chief executives of the insular possessions of the United States. 7. Passports, unless expressly limited to particular countries, are valid for all countries. Consequently no amendments to include specified countries will be necessary.

8. Regulations of foreign governments.-Passport and other travel regulations of foreign governments vary and are subject to changes. They also vary with respect to the outlying dominions, colonies, mandated territories, or dependencies of foreign countries. For authentic information regarding such regulations, inquiry should be made, before leaving the United States, of the diplomatic or consular representatives of the countries to be visited with reference to the following subjects: Visas; import and export regulations relating to money, jewelry, and other valuables; and tax, travel, residence, health, vaccination, and employment regulations.

9. Passports for China. It is understood that under recent regulations of the

Chinese Government visas on passports are required for travel in the interior of China in addition to the usual entrance visa on passports. Information concerning the visa for the interior should be obtained upon arrival in China from the nearest American consulate. The American Legation at Peiping has informed the Department by telegraph that ignorance of the necessity of the visa for the interior has caused expense, delay, and inconvenience to many travelers.

10. The usual visa for entry into China should be obtained before departure from the United States. All American citizens who intend to land in or pass through China must be in possession of a valid entrance visa in order to avoid the inevitable complications which will arise by attempting to enter China without it.

11. Stamping of Chinese text on passports in China.-American citizens are urgently warned that upon arrival in China they should present their passports at the Legation, or at an American Consulate in China, or at the American Consulate General at Hong Kong, for the stamping of a Chinese text thereon,

12. It is understood that the Chinese Government objects to Americans traveling into the interior of China on passports which do not contain a Chinese text.

13. Foreign visas should be be obtained. Nearly all foreign governments require persons of other nationality entering their countries to be in possession of passport visas granted by the diplomatic or consular officers of those countries. Certain exceptions are noted below. As certain foreign visas are valid for one trip only, or restricted in the period of time for which they may be used, applicants for visas should be careful to state the length of the intended sojourn in the foreign country and the expected number of trips thereto. Travelers by air must comply with the same visa regulations as apply to travelers by land or

water.

14. American citizens are urgently advised to obtain visas from the appropriate foreign consuls stationed in this country before beginning their journeys, since it is understood that the regulations of a number of foreign countries require that a visa be obtained before the American leaves the United States. This 105275°-32--2

is particularly true of Americans traveling to Great Britain via Canada and of Americans proceeding to Poland, Persia, or India.

15. Americans who intend to travel in certain foreign countries, and in the outlying dominions, colonies, mandated territories, or dependencies of such countries, are cautioned to inquire regarding, and obtain, if necessary, specific visas not only for the foreign country, but for the outlying dominions, colonies, mandated territories, or dependencies, in which they intend to travel, especially if they are proceeding to the Levant States under French mandate.

16. The visa regulations of foreign governments are enforced directly by the representatives of those governments. The Department of State does not under any circumstances act as intermediary in obtaining visas from representatives of foreign countries.

It is an accepted maxim of international law, that every sovereign nation has the power, as inherent in sovereignty, and essential to selfpreservation, to forbid the entrance of foreigners within its dominions, or to admit them only in such cases and upon such conditions as it may see fit to prescribe (142 U.S. 651).