CONVENTION FOR THE CONTROL OF THE TRADE IN ARMS AND AMMUNITION, AND PROTOCOL, SIGNED AT SAINT-GERMAIN-EN-LAYE, SEPTEMBER 10, 19191 The United States of America, Belgium, Bolivia, the British Empire, China, Cuba, Ecuador, France, Greece, Guatemala, Haiti, the Hedjaz, Italy, Japan, Nicaragua, Panama, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Roumania, the Serb-CroatSlovene State, Siam and Czecho-Slovakia; Whereas the long war now ended, in which most nations have successively become involved, has led to the accumulation in various parts of the world of considerable quantities of arms and munitions of war, the dispersal of which would constitute a danger to peace and public order; Whereas in certain parts of the world it is necessary to exercise special supervision over the trade in, and the possession of, arms and ammunition; Whereas the existing treaties and conventions, and particularly the Brussels Act of July 2, 1890, regulating the traffic in arms and ammunition in certain regions, no longer meet present conditions, which require more elaborate provisions applicable to a wider area in Africa and the establishment of a corresponding régime in certain territories in Asia; Whereas a special supervision of the maritime zone adjacent to certain countries is necessary to ensure the efficacy of the measures adopted by the various Governments both as regards the importation of arms and ammunition into those countries and the export of such arms and ammunition from their own territory; And with the reservation that, after a period of seven years, the present Convention shall be subject to revision in the 1 Some of the signatures were affixed in Paris and some at Saint-Germainen-Laye. Reprinted from the the British Treaty Series, No 12 (Cmd, 414). light of the experience gained, if the Council of the League of Nations, acting if need be by a majority, so recommends; Have appointed as their Plenipotentiaries: The President of the United States of America: The Honourable Frank Lyon Polk, Under-Secretary of The Honourable Henry White, formerly Ambassador General Tasker H. Bliss, Military Representative of the His Majesty the King of the Belgians: M. Paul Hymans, Minister for Foreign Affairs, Minister of State; M. Jules van den Heuvel, Envoy Extraordinary and M. Emile Vandervelde, Minister of Justice, Minister of The President of the Republic of Bolivia: M. Ismail Montes, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister 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., The Right Honourable Viscount Milner, G.C.B., G.C. The Right Honourable George Nicoll Barnes, M.P., And for the Dominion of Canada: The Honourable Sir Albert Edward Kemp, K.C.M.G., Minister of the Overseas Forces; for the Commonwealth of Australia: The Honourable George Foster Pearce, Minister of Defence; for the Union of South Africa; The Right Honourable Viscount Milner, G.C.B., G.C. M.G.; for the Dominion of New Zealand: The Honourable Sir Thomas Mackenzie, K.C.M.G., High Commissioner for New Zealand in the United Kingdom; for India: The Right Honourable Baron Sinha, K.C., Under-Secretary of State for India; The President of the Chinese Republic: M. Lou Tseng-Tsiang, Minister for Foreign Affairs; The President of the Cuban Republic: M. Antonio Sanchez de Bustamente, Dean of the Faculty of Law in the University of Havana, President of the Cuban Society of International Law; The President of the Republic of Ecuador: M. Dorn y de Alsua, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of Ecuador at Paris; The President of the French Republic: M. Georges Clemenceau, President of the Council, Minister of War; |