Statements Made at the Closing Meeting of the Conference, November 24, Statement by His Excellency Dr. V. K. Wellington Koo, of China. Statement by Count Luigi Aldrovandi-Marescotti, of Italy. . Statement by the Honorable Norman H. Davis, of the United States of Statement by Viscount Cranborne, of the United Kingdom. Statement by Mr. François de Tessan, of France Statement by the Honorable Raoul Dandurand, of Canada. Statement by Mr. W. J. Jordan, of New Zealand. . . Statement by Count Luigi Aldrovandi-Marescotti, of Italy Statement by His Excellency Dr. V. K. Wellington Koo, of China. Closing Remarks by the President of the Conference, His Excellency Paul-Henri Spaak, of Belgium . Declaration of the Conference, November 24, 1937 Report of the Conference, Dated November 24, 1937 Statement to the Press, Made by the Honorable Norman H. Davis, Ameri- can Delegate, upon Arrival in New York, December 11, 1937. . . . . The Achievements of the Conference: Statement Made to the Secretary of State by the Honorable Norman H. Davis, American Delegate, THE NINE-POWER TREATY OF WASHINGTON OF FEBRUARY 6, 1922 * PRINCIPLES AND POLICIES TO BE FOLLOWED IN MATTERS CONCERNING CHINA The United States of America, Belgium, the British Empire, China, France, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and Portugal: Desiring to adopt a policy designed to stabilize conditions in the Far East, to safeguard the rights and interests of China, and to promote intercourse between China and the other Powers upon the basis of equality of opportunity; Have resolved to conclude a treaty for that purpose and to that end have appointed as their respective Plenipotentiaries; The President of the United States of America: Charles Evans Hughes, Henry Cabot Lodge, Oscar W. Underwood, Elihu Root, citizens of the United States; His Majesty the King of the Belgians: Baron de Cartier de Marchienne, Commander of the Order of His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Emperor of India: The Right Honourable Arthur James Balfour, O.M., M.P., The Right Honourable Baron Lee of Fareham, G.B.E., K.C.B., The Right Honourable Sir Auckland Campbell Geddes, K.C.B., * The ratifications of all the signatory powers of the treaty were duly deposited with the Government of the United States of America on Aug. 5, 1925. The following countries have adhered to the treaty: Norway, Nov. 18, 1925; Bolivia, Nov. 21, 1925; Sweden, Dec. 8, 1925; Denmark, Dec. 30, 1925; Mexico, Sept. 29, 1927. (Treaty Series, No. 723.) 1 and His Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the for the Dominion of Canada: The Right Honourable Sir Robert Laird Borden, G.C.M.G., for the Commonwealth of Australia: Senator the Right Honourable George Foster Pearce, Minister for Home and Territories; for the Dominion of New Zealand: The Honourable Sir John William Salmond, K.C., Judge of the for the Union of South Africa: The Right Honourable Arthur James Balfour, O.M., M.P.; for India: The Right Honourable Valingman Sankaranarayana Srinivasa The President of the Republic of China: Mr. Sao-Ke Alfred Sze, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at Washington; Mr. V. K. Wellington Koo, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at London; Mr. Chung-Hui Wang, former Minister of Justice. The President of the French Republic: Mr. Albert Sarraut, Deputy, Minister of the Colonies; Mr. Jules J. Jusserand, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States of America, Grand Cross of the National Order of the Legion of Honour; His Majesty the King of Italy: The Honourable Carlo Schanzer, Senator of the Kingdom; The Honourable Vittorio Rolandi Ricci, Senator of the Kingdom, His Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at Washington; The Honourable Luigi Albertini, Senator of the Kingdom; His Majesty the Emperor of Japan: Baron Tomosaburo Kato, Minister for the Navy, Junii, a member of the First Class of the Imperial Order of the Grand Cordon of the Rising Sun with the Paulownia Flower; Baron Kijuro Shidehara, His Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at Washington, Joshii, a member of the First Class of the Imperial Order of the Rising Sun; Mr. Masanao Hanihara, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, Jushii, a member of the Second Class of the Imperial Order of the Rising Sun; Her Majesty the Queen of The Netherlands: Jonkheer Frans Beelaerts van Blokland, Her Envoy Extraor- Jonkheer Willem Hendrik de Beaufort, Minister Plenipotentiary, The President of the Portuguese Republic: Mr. José Francisco de Horta Machado da Franca, Viscount d'Alte, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at Washington; Mr. Ernesto Julio de Carvalho e Vasconcelos, Captain of the Portuguese Navy, Technical Director of the Colonial Office. Who, having communicated to each other their full powers, found to be in good and due form, have agreed as follows: ARTICLE I. The Contracting Powers, other than China, agree: (1) To respect the sovereignty, the independence, and the territorial and administrative integrity of China; (2) To provide the fullest and most unembarrassed opportunity to China to develop and maintain for herself an effective and stable government; (3) To use their influence for the purpose of effectually establishing and maintaining the principle of equal opportunity for the commerce and industry of all nations throughout the territory of China; (4) To refrain from taking advantage of conditions in China in order to seek special rights or privileges which would abridge the rights of subjects or citizens of friendly States, and from countenancing action inimical to the security of such States. ARTICLE II. The Contracting Powers agree not to enter into any treaty, agreement, arrangement, or understanding, either with one another, or, individually or collectively, with any Power or Powers, which would infringe or impair the principles stated in Article I. ARTICLE III. With a view to applying more effectually the principles of the Open Door or equality of opportunity in China for the trade and industry of all nations, the Contracting Powers, other than China, agree that they will not seek, nor support their respective nationals in seeking— (a) any arrangement which might purport to establish in favour of their interests any general superiority of rights with respect to commercial or economic development in any designated region of China; (b) any such monopoly or preference as would deprive the nationals of any other Power of the right of undertaking any legitimate trade or industry in China, or of participating with the Chinese Government, or with any local authority, in any category or public enterprise, or which by reason of its scope, duration or geographical extent is calculated to frustrate the practical application of the principle of equal opportunity. It is understood that the foregoing stipulations of this Article are not to be so construed as to prohibit the acquisition of such properties or rights as may be necessary to the conduct of a particular commercial, industrial, or financial undertaking or to the encouragement of invention and research. China undertakes to be guided by the principles stated in the foregoing stipulations of this Article in dealing with applications for economic rights and privileges from Governments and nationals of all foreign countries, whether parties to the present Treaty or not. ARTICLE IV. The Contracting Powers agree not to support any agreements by their respective nationals with each other designed to create Spheres of Influence or to provide for the enjoyment of mutually exclusive opportunities in designated parts of Chinese territory. ARTICLE V. China agrees that, throughout the whole of the railways in China, she will not exercise or permit unfair discrimination of any kind. In particular there shall be no discrimination whatever, direct or indirect, in respect of charges or of facilities on the ground of the nationality of passengers or the countries from which or to which they are proceeding, or the origin or ownership of goods or the country from which or to which they are consigned, or the nationality or ownership of the ship or other means of conveying such passengers or goods before or after their transport on the Chinese Railways. The Contracting Powers, other than China, assume a corresponding obligation in respect of any of the aforesaid railways over which they or their nationals are in a position to exercise any control in virtue of any concession, special agreement or otherwise. ARTICLE VI. The Contracting Powers, other than China, agree fully to respect China's rights as a neutral in time of war to which China is not a party; and China declares that when she is a neutral she will observe the obligations of neutrality. |