Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1899-12-14
RECIPROCAL TREATIES.
Some Important Conventions Have
Been Concluded.

The fourth section of the tariff act approved
july "a. 1897. appears to provide only for COM
mercial treaties which should be entered into
by the president and also satisfied by the SEN
ate within two years from its passage. owing
none of the treaties inaugurated under the
section could be concluded in time for rati-
| fication by the senate prior to its adjournment
on the fourth of March last Some OF the
pending negotiations, however, were near con-
cluson at that time. and the resultant con-
potentlaries Others within both the third and
fourth sections Of the act are still under con-
sideration. Acting under the constitutional
I have deemed it my duty while observing
the limitations of concession provided by the
pending negotiations and submit them to the
senate for its advice and consent.
Conventions of reciprocity have been signed
during the congressional recess with Great
Britain for the respective colonies of British
Guiana, Barbados. Bermuda. Jamaica and
Turks and Caicos islands. and with the re-
conventions have also been concluded with
France and with 4, the Argen tine republic.
Our Foreign Trade.
In my last annual message the progress
noted in the work of the diplomatic and con-
sular officers in collecting information as to
tries and in the care and promptitude with
which their reports are printed and distrib-
uted has continued during the past year. with
increasingly valuable results in suggesting
sources of demand for American products and
in pointing out the obstacles still to be over
of our foreign trade. 1t will doubtless be
gratifying to congress to learn that the vari-
GUS agencies Of the department Of state are
cooperating in these endeavors with zeal
and effectiveness which not Only receiv-
Ing the cordial recognition of our business
interests. but are exciting the emulation of
other governments. In any Encouragement of
the great and complicated work Of obtaining Of
Hcial data of an ecenC mic character which con-
gress may undertake 1t is most important, in
my judgment, that the results already secured
by the department of state should be carefully
considered, with view to judicious develop
fnent and increased utility of our import trade.
international Union.
The interest taken by the various states
FORMING the international union of American
republics in the work of It's organic bureau is
evidenced by tn efact that for the first time
since Its creation in 1890 all the, republics
sented in it.
The unanimous recommendation of the in
ternational American conference provil ling
for the International union Of American repub-
lies stated that 1t should stay In force DUR
ing a term Of ten years from the date of Its
origin and no country becoming a member Of
She union should cease to be member until
the end Of the said period of ten years and
unless twelve months before the expiration of
said period a majority of the members of the
union had given to the secretary of state Of
the United States official notice OF their wish
to terminate the union ut tho end of its first
period that the union should constitute to DO
maintained for another period Of ten years and
thereafter under the same condition for sue
(ssslve periods OF tan years each.