Treaty Series No. 824
Conciliation Treaty Between the United States of America and Belgium, Signed at Washington, March 20, 192913
The President of the United States of America and His Majesty the King of the Belgians, being desirous to strengthen the bonds of amity that bind them together and also to advance the cause of general peace, have resolved to enter into a treaty for that purpose, and to that end have appointed as their plenipotentiaries:
- The President of the United States of America:
- Frank B. Kellogg, Secretary of State of the United States of America; and
- His Majesty the King of the Belgians:
- His Highness Prince Albert de Ligne, His Majesty’s Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to the United States of America;
Who, after having communicated to each other their respective full powers, found to be in proper form, have agreed upon and concluded the following articles:
Article I
Any disputes arising between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Belgium, of whatever nature [Page 10] they may be, shall, when ordinary diplomatic proceedings have failed and the High Contracting Parties do not have recourse to adjudication by a competent tribunal, be submitted for investigation and report to a permanent International Commission constituted in the manner prescribed in the next succeeding Article; and they agree not to resort with respect to each other to any act of force during the investigation to be made by the Commission and before its report is handed in.
Article II
The International Commission shall be composed of five members, to be appointed as follows: Each Government shall appoint a member from among its nationals; the other three members, including the President, shall be appointed in common accord, it being understood that they shall not be under the jurisdiction of either one of the two countries. The expenses of the Commission shall be paid by the two Governments in equal proportions.
The International Commission shall be appointed within six months after the exchange of ratifications of this treaty; and vacancies shall be filled according to the manner of the original appointment.
Article III
In case the High Contracting Parties shall have failed to adjust a dispute by diplomatic methods, and they do not have recourse to adjudication by a competent tribunal, they shall at once refer it to the International Commission for investigation and report. The International Commission may, however, spontaneously by unanimous agreement offer its services to that effect, and in such case it shall notify both Governments and request their cooperation in the investigation.
The High Contracting Parties agree to furnish the Permanent International Commission with all the means and facilities required for its investigation and report.
The report of the Commission shall be completed within one year after the date on which it shall declare its investigation to have begun, unless the High Contracting Parties shall limit or extend the time by mutual agreement. The report shall be prepared in triplicate; one copy shall be presented to each Government, and the third retained by the Commission for its files.
The High Contracting Parties reserve the right to act independently on the subject matter of the dispute after the report of the Commission shall have been submitted.
Article IV
The present treaty shall be ratified by the President of the United States of America by and with the advice and consent of the Senate [Page 11] thereof, and by His Majesty the King of the Belgians in accordance with the Constitution.
The ratifications shall be exchanged at Washington as soon as possible, and the treaty shall take effect on the date of the exchange of the ratifications. It shall thereafter remain in force continuously unless and until terminated by one year’s written notice given by either High Contracting Party to the other.
In faith whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed this treaty in duplicate in the English and French languages, both texts having equal force, and hereunto affixed their seals.
- In English and French; French text not printed. Ratification advised by the Senate, May 22 (legislative day of May 16), 1929; ratified by the President, June 4, 1929; ratified by Belgium, July 22, 1930; ratifications exchanged at Washington, August 25, 1930; proclaimed by the President, August 25, 1930.↩