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AGREEMENTS EQUAL IN DURATION

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In order to give a new expression to these sentiments and to respond to the request that you have expressed to his Majesty, the Emperor has deigned to authorize me, Mr. Minister, to propose to you an exchange of notes between us with the purpose of establishing that:

The imperial Government of Russia and the Government of the French Republic, always solicitous for the maintenance of the general peace and of equilibrium among the European forces,

Confirm the diplomatic arrangement formulated in the letter of August 9/21, 1891, to M. de Giers, that of August 15/27, 1891, to Baron Mohrenheim and the letter in reply of M. Ribot, likewise bearing the date of August 15/27, 1891.

They have decided that the project of military convention which is the complement thereof and which is mentioned in the letter of M. de Giers of December 15/27, 1893, and that of Count de Muraviev of December 23, 1893/January 4, 1894, will remain in force as long as the diplomatic agreement concluded for safeguarding the common and permanent interests of the two countries.

The most absolute secrecy as to the tenor and even as to the existence of said arrangements must be scrupulously observed on both sides.

In addressing this communication to you, Mr. Minister, I profit by the occasion to renew to you the assurance of my high consideration.

COUNT MURAVIEV.

b. M. DELCASSÉ, MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS OF THE FRENCH REPUBLIC, TO COUNT MURAVIEV, Russian MINISTER FOR FOREIGN AFFAIRS.1

Mr. Minister:

ST. PETERSBURG, July 28/August 9, 1899.

Sunday last, when with his consent I laid before his Majesty the Emperor my opinion as to the utility of confirming our diplomatic arrangement of the month of August, 1891, and of fixing for the military convention which followed the same duration as that arrangement, his Majesty was good enough to declare to me that his own sentiments responded perfectly to the views of the Government of the Republic.

By your letter of this morning, you have done me the honor to inform me that it has pleased his Majesty the Emperor to approve the following formula which, on our side, has the entire adhesion of the President of the

1 Ibid., No. 94. The political considerations behind the exchange of notes are stated in No. 95, M. Delcassé's report to the President of the Republic on his visit.

Republic and of the French Government, and upon which agreement was previously established between your Excellency and myself:

[The 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th paragraphs of Count Muraviev's letter are here repeated.]

I congratulate myself, Mr. Minister, that these days spent in St. Petersburg have permitted me to prove once more the solidity of the bonds of lively and unchanging friendship which unite France to Russia, and I pray you to accept the renewed assurance of my high consideration.

DELCASSÉ.

4. NAVAL UNDERSTANDING.

a. PROJECT OF NAVAL CONVENTION.1

Art. I. The naval forces of France and Russia shall co-operate in all eventualities where the alliance authorizes and stipulates combined action of the land armies.

Art. II. The co-operation of the naval forces will be prepared in time of peace.

To this end the chiefs of staff of both navies are henceforth authorized to correspond directly, to exchange all information, to study all war hypotheses, to concert on all strategic problems.

Art. III. The chiefs of staff of both navies shall confer in person at least once a year; they will draw up minutes of their conferences.

Art. IV. As to duration, effectiveness and secrecy, the present convention is assimilated to the military convention of August 17, 1892, and to the subsequent agreements.

PARIS, July 16, 1912.

Chief of the general staff

of the French Navy:

Signed: AUBERT

Minister of Marine:

Signed: M. DELCASSÉ

Chief of the general staff of
the imperial Russian Navy:
Signed: PRINCE LIEVEN
Minister of Marine:

Signed: J. GRIGOROVICH.

1 Ibid., No. 102. "The original of this document is at the Ministry of Marine."-[Official note.]

MONTHLY NAVAL EXCHANGE

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b. CONVENTION FOR THE EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION BETWEEN THE RUSSIAN NAVY AND THE FRENCH NAVY.1

As the result of an exchange of views reached in the current month of July, 1912, between Vice Admiral Prince Lieven, chief of the general staff of the imperial Russian navy, and Vice Admiral Aubert, chief of the general staff of the French navy, the following decisions of principle have been reached between the two conferees:

1. From September 1/14, 1912, the chief of the general staff of the Imperial Russian navy and the chief of the general staff of the French navy shall exchange all information of their respective navies, and regularly every month, in writing, information which these two countries may obtain. Telegraphic cipher may be used in certain urgent cases.

2. To avoid any indiscretion and any divulgence relative to this information, it is indispensable to adopt the following procedure of transmission: Any request for information on the French Marine of interest to the Russian Marine will be addressed by the Russian naval attaché at Paris to the chief of the general staff of the French navy; and, reciprocally, any request for information on the Russian Marine will be addressed by the French naval attaché at St. Petersburg to the chief of the general staff of the Russian Marine.

This procedure will be exclusive of any other: In principle, therefore, a direct request is not to be made to the naval attachés for information respecting their own navies.

PARIS, July 16, 1912.

Chief of the general staff

of the French Navy:

Signed: AUBERT

Chief of the general staff of the imperial Russian Navy: Signed: PRINCE LIEVEN

The approval of the project was announced, on the part of the Russian Emperor, in a note from the Russian minister of foreign affairs to the French minister of foreign affairs dated Saint Petersburg, August 2/15, 1912; and on the part of France in a note from the French minister of foreign affairs to the Russian minister of foreign affairs, dated Saint Petersburg, August 3/16, 1912 (Nos. 106 and 107).

1 "The original of this document is at the Ministry of Marine."-[Official note.]

II. ANGLO-FRENCH ENTENTE CORDIALE.

SCHEDULE OF DOCUMENTS.

The Entente Cordiale consisted of the following treaties:

1. Convention between Great Britain and France respecting Newfoundland and West and Central Africa, signed at London, April 8, 1904. (Ratifications exchanged at London, December 8, 1904.)

2. Declaration between Great Britain and France respecting Egypt and Morocco, signed at London, April 8, 1904, and secret articles of even date.2

3. Declaration between Great Britain and France concerning Siam, Madagascar and the New Hebrides, signed at London, April 8, 1904.3

4. Convention between Great Britain and France confirming the protocol signed at London on February 27, 1906, concerning the New Hebrides, signed at London, October 20, 1906. (Ratifications exchanged at London, January 9, 1907.)4

The condominium in the New Hebrides is a most enlightening example of international administration and it is planned to devote a subsequent number of a League of Nations to its operation.

97 British and Foreign State Papers, 31-38; Treaty Series, No. 5 (1905); Parl., Pap., 1995, CIII, 265; Nouveau recueil général de traités, ze série, XXXII, 29-37; American Journal of International Law, Supplement, I, 9-13.

The convention was completed by the following:

Agreement between Great Britain and France relative to the arbitral tribunal and the inquiries into the claims for indemnity contemplated by Art. III of the Convention of April 8, 1904, respecting Newfoundland, signed at London, April 7, 1905. (98 British and Foreign State Papers, 49-51; Nouveau recueil général de traités, ze série, XXXV, 363–366.)

French decree attacking the Iles de Los to the Government of French West Africa, Paris, July 4, 1905. (98 British and Foreign State Papers, 850.)

Convention between Great Britain and France respecting the delimitation of the frontier between the British and French possessions east of the Niger (confirming protocol of April 9, 1906), signed at London, May 29, 1906. [In fulfilment of article VIII, pars. 6 and 7 of the convention of 1904.] (Rati fications exchanged at London August 29, 1906.) (99 British and Foreign State Papers, 194-202; Nouveau recueil général de traités, ze série, XXXV, 463.

Agreement between the United Kingdom and France respecting the delimitation of the frontier between the British and French possessions east of the Niger, signed at London, February 19, 1910. (Treaty Series, No. 1, 1912, Cd. 6013; Nouveau recueil général de traités, 3e série, VII, 362.)

'97 British and Foreign State Papers, 39-53; Nouveau recueil général de traités, 20 série, XXXII, 15-19; Treaty Series, No. 6, 1905; American Journal of International Law, Supplement, I, 6-8.

97 British and Foreign State Papers, 53-55; Nouveau recueil général de traités, ze série, XXXII, 37-43; Treaty Series, No. 7, 1905.

499 British and Foreign State Papers, 229-252; Nouveau recueil général de traités, 3e série, I, 523564; Treaty Series, No. 3, 1907; American Journal of International Law, Supplement, I, 179-200. The convention was completed and rendered operative by:

Exchange of notes between Great Britain and France. Arrangements under the convention of October 20, 1906, respecting the New Hebrides, signed at London, August 29, 1907. (100 British and Foreign State Papers, 499-536; Nouveau recueil général de traités, 3e série, 1, 564-589.).

British order in council making further provision for the exercise of His Majesty's jurisdiction within the New Hebrides, London, October 24, 1911. (104 British and Foreign State Papers, 113.)

SUMMARY OF ENTENTE CORDIALE

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2. SUMMARY OF CONTENTS.

Owing to their ready accessibility, their length and technical character, official summaries of the contents and purport of the documents is substituted for the texts:

a. CIRCULAR ADDRESSED APRIL 12, 1904, BY M. DELCASSÉ, FRENCH MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS, TO FRENCH AMBASSADORS AT BERLIN, BERN, CONSTANTINOPLE, MADRID, ST. PETERSBURG, VIENNA, WASHINGTON, NEAR THE KING OF ITALY, NEAR THE HOLY SEE, THE MINISTER AT TANGIER AND THE DIPLOMATIC AGENT AND CONSUL General at CAIRO.1

PARIS, April 12, 1904.

The great interests both moral and material connected with the understanding of England and France called for a friendly regulation of the questions which divided the two countries and from which in certain circumstances a conflict might result. At London as at Paris, the Governments were aware of that. The visits exchanged last year between King Edward and the President of the Republic showed that opinion on both sides of the Channel was favorably disposed.

In the course of the interview which I had the honor of having with Lord Lansdowne on July 7, 1903, the eminent secretary of state for foreign affairs and I examined successively all the problems which were placed before us. It was recognized that it was not impossible to find for each of them a solution equally advantageous to both parties.

Our common efforts, which have not ceased to be directed by a spirit of conciliation, resulted in the agreements of April 8, the authentic texts of which I send you annexed, adding some explanations on their nature and import.

The affairs of Newfoundland were among those which, after numerous attempts, had given place to discussions more and more delicate [épineuses]. The origin was far in the past. Art. 13 of the treaty of Utrecht [1713] abandoned to Great Britain Newfoundland and the adjacent islands. It was now only on the western and a part of the eastern coasts that we could come to take and dry fish, and only during the customary fishing season. Every permanent [sédentaire] establishment was prohibited to us. . . .

De Clerq, Recueil des traités de la France, XXII, 525-536; Nouveau recueil général de traités, ze série, XXXII, 43-57.

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