Elbert County tribune and Elbert County banner. (Elizabeth, Colo.) 1920-1921, 1920-09-03
NEW MERCHANT MARINE ACT
MAY ANNUL TWO DOZEN
TREATIES.
ANNULMENT OF PACTS
PRESIDENT MUST GIVE NOTICE
TO FOREIGN NATIONS WITH
IN NINETY DAYS.

Western Newspaper Union News Service.
Washington, Sept. 1-Examination
by the State Department of COM
mercial treaties to which the United
States is a signatory has revealed that
between twenty-four and twenty-seven
Of such pacts may have to be abrogat-
ed under the new merchant marine act,
it is said by department officials.
Section "a of the merchant marine
act requires the President, within nine
ty days, or by Sept 8, to give formal
notice to foreign governments having
commercial treaties with the United
States that the American government
intends to revoke any claims of the
conventions which prevent the giving
of preferential treatment to Americans
or American ships. Officials expressed
the belief that entire abrogation of the
treaties would result from the notice
of the President, as 1t is not thought
that other nations will consent to the
amendment of treaties In order to ena-
BILE the United States to discriminate
against their own commerce and ship
ping
Although considerable doubt exists
as to the precise intent of Congress as
expressed in the merchant marine act
on account of the radical consequences
which must result in the strict carry
ing out of section "a, there are ten
treaties which are considered as spe-
officially failing within the provisions
of the statute which probably will
have to be abrogated.
Although the State Department has
not made public the list of affected
treaties, the ten conventions which are
expected to be terminated are known
to include those with Belgium, ratified
March 8, 1875; Bolivia, May ID, 1858;
Costa Rica, July 10, 1851 Denmark.
April 26, 1926; Great Britain, July 3,
1915; Honduras, July 4, 1864; Italy,
Feb. %, 1871; Netherlands, Aug. 20,
1852; Norway, July a. 1927 Paraguay,
Feb. 4, 1859; Serbia. Oct. ID, 1881,
and Spain, July 3, 1902. In the case of
all, however, twelve months notice
must be given of the intention to abro-
gate.
These include treaties concluded be-
tween the United States and the fol-
lowing nations: Argentine Republic,
ratified July 81, 1858; China, Nov. IT,
1880; Colombia, Dec IL, 1916; Greece,
Dec. 81, 1887 Japan, Feb. 81, 1911; Ii
IBERIA, Oct. 81, 1862; Congo, Jan. "a,
1891; Cuba, Dec. IL. 1902; Morocco,
Sept 10, 1896; Panama, Nov. IS, 1908 !;
Tripoli, June 4, 1905, and France, June
IA, 1922.
The treaty with France is considered
by officials as imperative at present
as q result of the notice of the inten-
ton to abrogate given by France to
the State Department more than year
ago. The treaties with Argentina, China,
Liberia, Panama and Tripoli make
no provision for remaining in force aft
er notice of abrogation and would
therefore become Immediately inopera-
tive upon the notice of the President.
The treaty with Japan, however, re-
quires that six months notice should
be given, and those with Colombia,
Greece, Morocco and Cuba stipulate
twelve months notice before they
cease to become effective.
The treaty which may have to be alb
rogated with China, officials said,
would result not only In the annulment
Of commercial reciprocity between the
two countries, but also in
the loss of the rights of American cit
liens to be tried in American courts in
China, which have been in operation
since 1880.