ARTICLE 16

Any one of the contracting States shall have the right to call for a fresh conference with a view to considering possible amendments.

A State which would exercise this right should notify its intention to the other States through the Belgian Government, which would make arrangements for convening the conference.

Done at Brussels, in a single copy, August 25, 1924.

For Germany:
KELLER.

For the Argentine Republic:

For Belgium:

LOUIS FRANCK.

ALBERT LE JEUNE.

SOHR.

For Chile:

ARMANDO QUEZADA.

For the Republic of Cuba:

For Denmark:

For Spain:

The Marquis of VILLALOBAR.

For Estonia:

PUSTA.

For the United States of America:

WILLIAM PHILLIPS.

For Finland:

For France:

MAURICE HERBETTE.

For Great Britain:

GEORGE GRAHAME.

For Hungary:

WORACZICZKY.

For Italy:

GIULIO DANEO.

For Japan:

M. ADATCI.

Subject to the reservations formulated in the note relative to this treaty and appended to my letter dated August 25, 1925, to His Excellency Mr. Emile Vandervelde, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Belgium.

For Latvia:

For Mexico:

For Norway:

For the Netherlands:

For Peru:

For Poland and the Free City of Danzig:

SZEMBEK.

For Portugal:

For Rumania:

HENRY CATARGI.

For the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes:

Dr. MILORAD STRAZNICKY.

Dr. VERONA.

For Sweden:

For Uruguay:

PROTOCOL OF SIGNATURE

In proceeding to the signature of the international convention for the unification of certain rules relating to bills of lading, the undersigned plenipotentiaries have adopted the present protocol which will have the same validity as if the provisions thereof were inserted in the very text of the convention to which it refers.

The high contracting parties may give effect to this convention either by giving it the force of law or by including in their national legislation in a form appropriate to that legislation, the rules adopted under this convention.

They may reserve the right:

1. To prescribe that in the cases referred to in paragraph 2 (c) to (p) of Article 4, the holder of a bill of lading shall be entitled to establish responsibility for loss or damage arising from the personal fault of the carrier or the fault of his servants which are not covered by paragraph (a);

2. To apply Article 6 insofar as the national coasting trade is concerned to all classes of goods without taking account of the restriction set out in the last paragraph of that article.

Done at Brussels, in a single copy, August 25, 1924.

For Germany:

KELLER.

For the Argentine Republic:

For Belgium:

LOUIS FRANCK.

ALBERT LE JEUNE.

SOHR.

For Chile:

ARMANDO QUEZADA.

For the Republic of Cuba:

For Denmark:

For Spain:

The Marquis of VILLALOBAR.

For Estonia:

PUSTA.

For the United States of America:

WILLIAM PHILLIPS.

For Finland:

For France:

MAURICE HERBETTE.

For Great Britain:

GEORGE GRAHAME.

In proceeding to the signature of the present Convention, His Excellency made, in the name of his Government, the declaration of which the terms are reproduced in an annex to the present ProcèsVerbal.

For Hungary:

WORACZICZKY.

For Italy:

GIULIO DANEO.

For Japan:

For Latvia:

For Mexico:

For Norway:

For the Netherlands:

For Peru:

For Poland and the Free City of Danzig:

SZEMBEK.

For Portugal:

For Rumania:

HENRY CATARGI.

For the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes:

Dr. MILORAD STRAZNICKY.

Dr. VERONA.

For Sweden:

For Uruguay:

[Annex 1]

I, the Undersigned, His Britannic Majesty's Ambassador at Brussels, on affixing my signature to the Protocol of Signature of the International Convention for the unification of certain rules relating to Bills of Lading, on this 15th day of November 1924, hereby make the following declarations by direction of my Government:

I declare that His Britannic Majesty's Government adopt the last reservation in the additional Protocol of the Bills of Lading Convention,

I further declare that my signature applies only to Great Britain and Northern Ireland. I reserve the right of each of the British Dominions, Colonies, Overseas Possessions and Protectorates, and of each of the territories over which His Britannic Majesty exercises a mandate to accede to this Convention under Article 13.

GEORGE GRAHAME

His Britannic Majesty's Ambassador at Brussels BRUSSELS, this 15th day of November 1924.

IMPERIAL EMBASSY

OF JAPAN

[Annex 2]

NOTE ANNEXED TO THE LETTER OF HIS EXCELLENCY THE AMBASSADOR OF JAPAN TO THE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF BELGIUM, ON AUGUST 25, 1925

At the moment of proceeding to the signature of the International Convention for the unification of certain rules relating to Bills of Lading, the undersigned, Plenipotentiary of Japan, makes the following reservations:

a) To Article 4:

Japan reserves to itself until further notice the acceptance of the provisions in (a) of paragraph 2 of Article 4.

b) Japan is of the opinion that the Convention does not in any part apply to national coasting trade: consequently, there should be no occasion to make it the object of provisions in the Protocol. How

ever, if it be not so, Japan reserves to itself the right freely to regulate the national coasting trade by its own law.

BRUSSELS, August 25, 1925.

M. ADATCI

CONVENTION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND OTHER POWERS FOR THE PROTECTION OF INDUSTRIAL PROPERTY, SIGNED NOVEMBER 6, 1925

554.1 A 1/365

The Netherlands Minister (De Graeff) to the Secretary of State

No. 3474

WASHINGTON, January 7, 1925. SIR: The next Conference of the "Union Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété Industrielle" which will be held this year at The Hague, according to a communication of the "Bureau voor den Industrieelen Eigendom" (Netherland Patent Office), which is making the preparatory arrangements for its reunion in coöperation with the Bureau Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété Industrielle at Berne, is expected to be opened on October 8, 1925.

In view of the foregoing I have pursuant to instructions I received from the Minister of Foreign Affairs at The Hague the honor to extend in the name of my Government a cordial invitation to the Government of the United States of America to be officially represented at the said Conference.

I add that the Bureau Internationale pour la Protection de la Propriété Industrielle will soon send to the Federal Government the program of the items to be discussed. Moreover, this Bureau will forward to the United States Patent Office the complete collection of preparatory documents concerning this Conference.

Expressing the hope that I may have the pleasure of learning in due course of the acceptance of the aforesaid invitation by the Federal Government I should be thankful to be informed at the same time of the names of the delegates who will represent the United States at the Conference.

Please accept [etc.]

DE GRAEFF

554.1 A 1/372

The Secretary of State to the Netherlands Minister (De Graeff)

WASHINGTON, March 3, 1925.

SIR: Referring to your note of January 7, 1925, extending, in the name of your Government, an invitation to the Government of the United States to be officially represented at the International Con