File No. 811.2222/13528h
The Secretary of State to the Chargé in Great Britain ( Laughlin)
Sir: An understanding having been reached that the exchange of ratifications of the two military conventions between the United States and Great Britain signed at Washington on June 3, 1918, one in respect to the compulsory military service of citizens of the United States in Great Britain and British subjects in the United States, and the other in respect to compulsory military service of citizens of the United States in Canada and Canadian citizens in the United States, shall take place at London, I enclose herewith the President’s instruments of ratification of the two conventions1 for exchange for the like ratifications of the King of Great Britain. I also enclose the President’s two full powers authorizing you to effect the two exchanges.1 A separate protocol of exchange should be signed in each case, and I further enclose, for your information, the form of protocol which is used at Washington. As soon as the exchange of ratifications has been effected it is desired that the Department be advised of the fact by cable.
The Senate having given its advice and consent to the ratification of the convention in respect to compulsory military service of citizens of the United States in Great Britain and British subjects in the United States on the condition that the ratifications thereof should not be exchanged until the Government of the United States by the President shall, by a general certificate, in accordance with the provisions of article 3 of the convention, exempt from military service citizens of the United States in Great Britain who are outside the ages of compulsory military service specified from time to time in the laws of the United States, for United States citizens, the President has signed in four originals a general certificate meeting this condition, two originals of which are sent to you herewith,2 one of which is to be retained in the Embassy, and the other to be transmitted to the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs in the manner hereinafter stated. The certificates are undated, and it is desired that they should bear the date of the day on which the [Page 707] exchange of ratifications takes place. You are therefore requested to insert that date in the two copies of the certificate enclosed herewith, and after the exchange of ratifications and on the same day, to transmit one of the copies to the British Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs as a formal notification to the Government of Great Britain given through you as provided in article 3 of the convention that all citizens of the United States in Great Britain outside the ages specified from time to time in the laws of the United States prescribing compulsory military service for United States citizens are and shall be exempt from compulsory military service in Great Britain.
For the information of the British Government you may add that the ages for compulsory military service of citizens of the United States specified in the existing laws of this country, are 21 to 30, both inclusive.
I am [etc.]