Office of the Historian

711.579/10

The Department of State to the Norwegian Legation

Memorandum

Referring to the aide-mémoire handed by the Norwegian Minister to the Secretary of State on May 8, 1924, in relation to the proposed treaty to aid in the prevention of the smuggling of intoxicating liquors into the United States, the Secretary of State begs to say:

  • First. It is noted that the Norwegian Government accepts the alternative text for Article I submitted by the Secretary of State.
  • Second. The Government of the United States finds it impossible to agree to the proposals of the Norwegian Government amendatory of paragraph (3), Article II respecting the distance from the coast within which the boarding of vessels, etc., can take place. The Government of the United States desires to have the treaty conform in this regard to the draft submitted to the Norwegian Minister for the reason that the provisions of the Article are those of the treaty recently concluded between the United States and Great Britain.
  • Third. After consideration of the Norwegian proposal for the substitution of Article 85 of The Hague Convention of 1907 for the Pacific Settlement of International Disputes respecting the payment of the expenses of the Tribunal mentioned in Article IV of the treaty, the Government of the United States prefers to retain the provisions which it has submitted to the Norwegian Government.
  • Fourth. The Government of the United States accepting the proposal of the Norwegian Government that the final Article should [Page 175] refer to the two languages in which the treaty is expressed, suggests that after the words “in duplicate” in Article VI there be incorporated the words “in the English and Norwegian languages”.

[ Washington ,] May 14, 1924.