SWITZERLAND.

CONVENTION FOR THE AMELIORATION OF THE CONDITION OF THE WOUNDED OF THE ARMIES IN THE FIELD.

Signed at Geneva July 6, 1906.

Ratification advised by the Senate December 19, 1906.

Ratified by the President of the United States January 2, 1907.

Ratification deposited with the Government of the Swiss Confederation February 9, 1907.

Proclaimed August 3, 1907.

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas a Convention between the United States of America and Germany, the Argentine Republic, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Bulgaria, Chile, China, the Congo Free State, Denmark, Spain, Brazil, Mexico, France, Great Britain, Greece, Guatemala, Honduras, Italy, Japan, Luxemburg, Montenegro, Norway, the Netherlands, Peru, Persia, Portugal, Roumania, Russia, Servia, Siam, Sweden, Switzerland, and Uruguay, for the amelioration of the condition of the wounded of armies in the field, was signed at Geneva, July 6, 1906, the original of which convention, being in the French language, is word for word as follows:

[Translation.]

CONVENTION FOR THE AMELIORATION OF THE CONDITION OF THE WOUNDED IN ARMIES IN THE FIELD.

His Majesty the Emperor of Germany, King of Prussia; His Excellency the President of the Argentine Republic; His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, etc., and Apostolic King of Hungary; His Majesty the King of the Belgians; His Royal Highness the Prince of Bulgaria; His Excellency the President of the Republic of Chile; His Majesty the Emperor of China; His Majesty the King of the Belgians, Sovereign of the Congo Free State; His Majesty the Emperor of Corea; His Majesty the King of Denmark; His Majesty the King of Spain; the President of the United States of America; the President of the United States of Brazil; the President of the United Mexican States; the President of the French Republic; His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Emperor of India; His Majesty the King of the Hellenes; the President of the Republic of Guatemala; the President of the Republic of Honduras; His Majesty the King of Italy; His Majesty the Emperor

of Japan; His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Luxemburg, Duke of Nassau; His Highness the Prince of Montenegro; His Majesty the King of Norway; Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands; the President of the Republic of Peru; His Imperial Majesty the Shah of Persia; His Majesty the King of Portugal and of the Algarves, etc.; His Majesty the King of Roumania; His Majesty the Emperor of All the Russias; His Majesty the King of Servia; His Majesty the King of Siam; His Majesty the King of Sweden; the Swiss Federal Council; the President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay.

Being equally animated by the desire to lessen the inherent evils of warfare as far as is within their power, and wishing for this purpose to improve and supplement the provisions agreed upon at Geneva on August 22, 1864, for the amelioration of the condition of the wounded in armies in the field,

Have decided to conclude a new convention to that effect, and have appointed as their plenipotentiaries, to wit:

His Majesty the Emperor of Germany, King of Prussia: His Excellency the Chamberlain and Actual Privy Councilor A. de Bülow, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at Berne, General of Brigade Baron de Manteuffel, Medical Inspector and Surgeon-General Dr. Villaret (with rank of general of brigade), Dr. Zorn, Privy Councilor of Justice, ordinary professor of law at the University of Bonn, Solicitor of the Crown;

His Excellency the President of the Argentine Republic: His Excellency Mr. Enrique B. Moreno, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at Berne, Mr. Molina Salas, Consul-General in Switzerland;

His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, etc., and Apostolic King of Hungary: His Excellency Baron Heidler de Egeregg et Syrgenstein, Actual Privy Councilor, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at Berne;

His Majesty the King of the Belgians: Colonel of Staff Count de T'Serclaes, Chief of Staff of the Fourth Military District;

His Royal Highness the Prince of Bulgaria: Dr. Marin Rousseff, Chief Medical Officer, Captain of Staff Boris Sirmanoff;

His Excellency the President of the Republic of Chile: Mr. Augustin Edwards, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary; His Majesty the Emperor of China: His Excellency Mr. Lou Tseng Tsiang, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Hague;

His Majesty the King of the Belgians, Sovereign of the Congo Free State: Colonel of Staff Count de T'Serclaes, Chief of staff of the Fourth Military District of Belgium;

His Majesty the Emperor of Corea: His Excellency Mr. Tsunetada Kato, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Japan to Brussels;

His Majesty the King of Denmark: Mr. Laub, Surgeon-General, Chief of the Medical Corps of the Army;

His Majesty the King of Spain: His Excellency Mr. Silverio de Baguer y Corsi, Count of Baguer, Minister Resident;

The President of the United States of America: Mr. William Cary Sanger, former Assistant Secretary of War of the United States of

America, Vice-Admiral Charles S. Sperry, President of the Naval War College, Brigadier-General George B. Davis, Judge-AdvocateGeneral of the Army, Brigadier-General Robert M. O'Reilly, Surgeon-General of the Army;

The President of the United States of Brazil: Dr. Carlos Lemgruber-Kropf, Chargé d'Affaires at Berne, Colonel of Engineers Roberto Trompowski, Leitao d'Almeida, Military Attaché to the Brazilian Legation at Berne;

The President of the United Mexican States: General of Brigade José Maria Perez;

The President of the French Republic: His Excellency Mr. Révoil, Ambassador to Berne, Mr. Louis Renault, Member of the Institute of France, Minister Plenipotentiary, Jurisconsult of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Professor in the Faculty of Law at Paris, Colonel Olivier of Reserve Artillery, Chief Surgeon Pauzat of the Second Class;

His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Emperor of India: Major-General Sir John Charles Ardagh, K. C. M. G., K. C. L. E., C. B., Professor Thomas Erskine Holland, K. C., D. C. L., Sir John Furley, C. B., Lieutenant-Colonel William Grant Macpherson, C. M. G., R. A. M. C.;

His Majesty the King of the Hellenes: Mr. Michel Kebedgy, Professor of International Law at the University of Berne;

The President of the Republic of Guatemala: Mr. Manuel Arroyo, Chargé d'Affaires at Paris, Mr. Henri Wiswald, Consul-General to Berne, residing at Geneva;

The President of the Republic of Honduras: Mr. Oscar Hopfl, Consul-General to Berne;

His Majesty the King of Italy: Marquis Roger Maurigi di Castel Maurigi, Colonel in His Army, Grand Officer of His Royal Order of the SS. Maurice and Lazare, Major-General Giovanni Randone, Military Medical Inspector, Commander of His Royal Order of the Crown of Italy;

His Majesty the Emperor of Japan: His Excellency Mr. Tsunetada Kato, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Brussels:

His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Luxemburg, Duke of Nassau: Staff Colonel Count de T'Serclaes, Chief of Staff of the Fourth Military District of Belgium;

High Highness the Prince of Montenegro: Mr. E. Odier, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Swiss Confederation in Russia, Colonel Mürset, Chief Surgeon of the Swiss Federal Army;

His Majesty the King of Norway: Captain Daae, of the Medical Corps of the Norwegian Army;

Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands: Lieutenant-General (retired) Jonkheer J. C. C. den Beer Poortugael, Member of the Council of State, Colonel A. A. J. Quanjer, Chief Medical Officer, First Class:

The President of the Republic of Peru: Mr. Gustavo de la Fuente, First Secretary of the Legation of Peru at Paris;

His Imperial Majesty the Shah of Persia: His Excellency Mr. Samad Khan Momtaz-os-Saltaneh, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plentipotentiary at Paris;

His Majesty the King of Portugal and of the Algarves, etc.: His Excellency Mr. Alberto d'Oliveira, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at Berne, Mr. José Nicolau Raposo-Botelho, Colonel of Infantry, former Deputy, Superintendent of the Royal Military College at Lisbon;

His Majesty the King of Roumania: Dr. Sache Stephanesco, Colonel of Reserve;

His Majesty the Emperor of All the Russias: His Excellency Privy Councilor de Martens, Permanent Member of the Council of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia;

His Majesty the King of Servia: Mr. Milan St. Markovitch, Secretary-General of the Ministry of Justice, Colonel Dr. Sondermayer, Chief of the Medical Division of the War Ministry;

His Majesty the King of Siam: Prince Charoon, Charge d'Affaires at Paris, Mr. Corragioni d'Orelli, Counselor of Legation at Paris; His Majesty the King of Sweden: M. Sörensen, Chief Surgeon of the Second Division of the Army;

The Swiss Federal Council: Mr. E. Odier, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary in Russia, Colonel Mürset, Chief Surgeon of the Federal Army;

The President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay: Mr. Alexandre Herosa, Chargé d'Affaires at Paris,

Who, having communicated to each other their full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed on the following:

CHAPTER I.-The sick and wounded.

ARTICLE 1.

Officers, soldiers, and other persons officially attached to armies, who are sick or wounded, shall be respected and cared for, without distinction of nationality, by the belligerent in whose power they are.

A belligerent, however, when compelled to leave his wounded in the hands of his adversary, shall leave with them, so far as military conditions permit, a portion of the personnel and material of his sanitary service to assist in caring for them.

ARTICLE 2.

Subject to the care that must be taken of them under the preceding article, the sick and wounded of an army who fall into the power of the other belligerent become prisoners of war, and the general rules of international law in respect to prisoners become applicable to them.

The belligerents remain free, however, to mutually agree upon such clauses, by way of exception or favor, in relation to the wounded or sick as they may deem proper. They shall especially have authority to agree:

1. To mutually return the sick and wounded left on the field of battle after an engagement.

2. To send back to their own country the sick and wounded who have recovered, or who are in a condition to be transported and whom they do not desire to retain as prisoners.

3. To send the sick and wounded of the enemy to a neutral state, with the consent of the latter and on condition that it shall charge itself with their internment until the close of hostilities.

ARTICLE 3.

After every engagement the belligerent who remains in possession of the field of battle shall take measures to search for the wounded and to protect the wounded and dead from robbery and ill treatment. He will see that a careful examination is made of the bodies of the dead prior to their interment or incineration.

ARTICLE 4.

As soon as possible each belligerent shall forward to the authorities of their country or army the marks or military papers of identification found upon the bodies of the dead, together with a list of names of the sick and wounded taken in charge by him.

Belligerents will keep each other mutually advised of internments and transfers, together with admissions to hospitals and deaths which occur among the sick and wounded in their hands. They will collect all objects of personal use, valuables, letters, etc., which are found upon the field of battle, or have been left by the sick or wounded who have died in sanitary formations or other establishments, for transmission to persons in interest through the authorities of their own country.

ARTICLE 5.

Military authority may make an appeal to the charitable zeal of the inhabitants to receive and, under its supervision, to care for the sick and wounded of the armies, granting to persons responding to such appeals special protection and certain immunities.

CHAPTER II.-Sanitary formations and establishments.

ARTICLE 6.

Mobile sanitary formations (i. e., those which are intended to accompany armies in the field) and the fixed establishments belonging to the sanitary service shall be protected and respected by belligerents.

ARTICLE 7.

The protection due to sanitary formations and establishments ceases if they are used to commit acts injurious to the enemy.

ARTICLE 8.

A sanitary formation or establishment shall not be deprived of the protection accorded by article 6 by the fact:

1. That the personnel of a formation or establishment is armed and uses its arms in self-defense or in defense of its sick and wounded. 2. That in the absence of armed hospital attendants, the forma