Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-05-31
Mexico and United States Ne.
gotiating Treaty.
AIM TO BALK SMUGGLERS
All Machines 70 Be Required to Reg.
lister Like Marine Craft.
WOULD REGULATE CUSTOMS
Canada May Also Enter Into Agree.
ment to Prevent Operations
Over Northern Border.

Mexico and the United States are now
negotiating a treaty to take cognizance
OF airship traffic.
1t is the first international document
OF the sort that has ever considered the
question or aviation. except the famous,
but ineffective, International agreement
or the last Hague conference that pro-
hibfted the dropping OF explosives from
balloons.
ihs hague agreement was signed By
many smaller nations. The United States
was the only frst-cia>s power that sub
scribed to it. Therefore. it was never
likely to come into practical effect.
The treaty with Mexico has not vet
been submitted to the Senate for ratid-
cation. The text is now being finished
between Secretary Knox and Senior Leon
de la Barra, the Mexican ambassador.
For Regulation of Customs.
The treaty does not need any additional
legislation to put it in force. The inter-
national customs regulations that it aims
to enforce are applicable to all classes of
merchandise. no matter how they are an
troduced into the country.
The aim Of the treaty. however. IL to
force the registering of all aeroplanes and
airships. Just as merchant vessels or au-
tomobiies are registered.
1t lis pointed out that, In carrying light
weights and valuable packages the aero
plane could do profitable smuggling
business. Diamonds. laces and even gold
are of little weight or bulk
They can he imported into Mexico much
cheaper than into the United States. as
the customs duties are lower. 1t would
be easy for an aeroplane to smuggle q
valuable cargo of this sort across the
border
There Is an export duty on gold for
Mexico. The metal can be bought In the
mines there much cheaper than in the
United States. II it could be introduced
here by smuggling aeroplanes it would
be a profitable enterprise.
Registry to Be Compulsory.
While the treaty makes compulsory the
registry Of aeroplanes and airships en-
gagged In international traffic, there Is OF
course the same or greater difficulty In ell
forcing the regulation as i'm enforcing the
clearance of vessels for foreign ports.
The treaty proposes to enforce the same
sort Of clearance and identification for
airships as for water ships and gives
authority for treating unlicensed inter
national traders the same as smugglsrs
or pirates.
The treaty is practically prepared now
and will be sumitted for ratification. IL
possible. before the close of the present
session of Congress
1t Is not generally known. but there are
several aeroplanes now operating in Mex
leo. Raul Duvall has imported Bleriot
and has made several flights at the City
of Mexico. Several others are now max
ing trial flights.
The greatest difficulty that has been
found go far In operating on the plateau
OIL which Mexico is situated is that il is
impossible to make flights OF any height
without getting above the effective height
at which an ordinary motor will operate.
Canada to Be Approached.
1t is intended to take UP the question
Of an airship treaty with Canada ~
soon as the Mexican treaty is ratified.
There is now a Canadian aeroplane fac
tory at Baddeck. Though only a few
machines have been turned out, one has
already been sold in Boston to Green
Hubbard and more are to be turned out
shortly.
The promoters Of the Canadian aero
plane factory are F. w. Baldwin and
J. A. d. McCurdy, two members OF the
Aerial Experiment Association, OF which
Alexander Graham Bell was the presi-