les traités et qui constituent en réalité une expropriation déguisée; dès la signature de la paix, le commandement allemand a promulgué des ordonnances qui astreignent toute la population mâle des territoires occupés, c'est-à-dire des deux troisièmes de la Roumanie, de 14 à 60 ans, aux travaux qu'elles auront ordonnés. Les pénalités en cas de défaut d'obéissance comportent la déportation, l'emprisonnement, et vont même dans certains cas, non expressément désignés, jusqu'à la peine de mort.

En résumé, l'Allemagne, par le traité qu'elle a imposé à la Roumanie, a donné un démenti cynique à ses déclarations. Ce traité comporte la spoliation des domaines publics, l'annexion à peine dissimulée de tout le pays et, après la paix, l'exploitation barbare et épuisante au profit des vainqueurs. Il fait de la Roumanie un véritable bagne où toute la population est condamnée aux travaux forcés pour le compte des vainqueurs. C'est là un exemple de paix allemande. Nous devons le méditer d'autant plus attentivement que, devant la stupeur des délégués roumains mis en demeure d'accepter de telles conditions, les délégués allemands leur ont déclaré qu'ils en apprécieraient la modération lorsqu'ils connaîtraient celles qui seraient imposées, après la victoire des Empires centraux, aux Puissances occidentales. Le 16 mai, 1918.

LAW of the Argentine Republic exempting from Taxation the transfer of Real Property for the purpose of Foreign Legations.-Buenos Aires, September 7,

1917. (Translation.)

Buenos Aires, September 7, 1917. WHEREAS: The Senate and Chamber of Deputies of the Argentine Nation, met together in Congress, &c., sanction with force of Law:

ART. 1. The gratuitous transfer of real property in the Capital of the Republic is exempted from the payment of the tax imposed by Law 8890, when it is presented for residences of Legations of foreign countries and provided that reciprocity is offered.

2. Communicate this to the Executive.

PELAGIO B. LUNA. Done in the Hall of Sessions of the Argentine Congres in Buenos Aires on the 4th September, 1917. Therefore let it be Law of the Nation, comply with it, communicate, publish and insert it in the National Register" and Boletín oficial," and file it.

IRIGOYEN.

D. E. SALABERRY.

ARGENTINE Decree respecting the Legalisation of Foreign Documents for use in the Argentine Republic. -July 24, 1918.*

(Translation.)

The Executive of the Nation

Decrees:

ART. 1. Every document emanating from or passing through the hands of a foreign authority which is to be of legal value in the territory of the Republic must, in the first place, be legalised by the accredited Argentine Consular Representative within the jurisdiction of the foreign authority from whom the document originates or who has certified it.

2. In the event of there being no Argentine Consular Representative, or (if there is one) and he is absent, the document must be legalised by the Legation; or, if there is no Legation, by the Diplomatic or Consular Representative of a friendly nation.

3. The Consular or Diplomatic certification mentioned in the previous articles can in no case be replaced by that of the Diplomatic or Consular Agent accredited to the Republic by the nation from which the document emanates.

4. The signature of the Consular or Diplomatic Repre sentative who legalises the foreign document must, in its turn, be legalised in the Republic by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Public Worship.

5. The present Decree shall come into force as from the 1st November of the present year, and from that date the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Public Worship, as well as other Argentine public authorities, shall not legalise any foreign document which does not fulfil the conditions laid down in the previous articles, excepting those documents which are exempted from such formalities by express stipulation of international conventions in force.

6. Communicate, publish in the "Official Bulletin," and give in the National Register.

Buenos Aires, July 24, 1918.

IRIGOYEN.

H. PUEYRREDON.

* "Boletín Oficial," July 30, 1918.

the Argentine

PARCEL Post Convention between the

Republic and
March 12, 1915.*

the United States.- Washington,

[Ratified by the Argentine Republic, September 15, 1915, and by the United States, March 15, 1915.]

FOR the purpose of making better postal arrangements between the United States of America and the Argentine Republic the undersigned, Honorable Albert S. Burleson, Postmaster-General of the United States of America, and Doctor Rómulo S. Naón, Ambassador of the Argentine Republic to the United States, by virtue of authority vested in them, have agreed upon the following articles for the establishment of a parcel post system of exchange between both countries.

ART. I. The provisions of this Convention relate only to parcels of mail matter to be exchanged by the system herein provided for, and do not affect the arrangements now existing under the Universal Postal Convention, which will continue in force as heretofore; and all the agreements hereinafter contained apply exclusively to mails exchanged under these articles.

II. (1.) There shall be admitted to the mails exchanged under this Convention, articles of merchandise and mail matter (except letters, postcards, and written matter) of all kinds that are admitted under the regulations in force to the domestic mails of the country of origin, except that no packet may exceed eleven pounds (or five kilograms) in weight, nor the following dimensions: greatest length in any direction, three feet six inches (or one hundred and five centimetres); greatest length and girth combined, six feet (or one hundred and eighty centimetres); and must be so wrapped or enclosed as to permit their contents to be easily examined by postmasters and customs officers, and except that the following articles are prohibited admission to the mails exchanged under this Convention:

Publications which violate the copyright laws of the country of destination; archil and its derivatives; poisons and explosives or inflammable substances; fatty substances, liquids and those which easily liquefy, pastes, live and dead animals, except dead insects and reptiles thoroughly dried; fruits and vegetables which will easily decompose, and substances which exhale a bad odor; lottery tickets, lottery advertisements or circulars; all obscene or immoral articles;

Signed also in the Spanish language.
+ Vol. XCIX, page 254.

articles which may destroy or in any way damage the mails, or injure the persons handling them.

(2.) All admissible articles and merchandise mailed in one country for the other shall be free from any detention or inspection whatever, except such as is required for collection of customs duties; and shall be forwarded by the most speedy means to their destination, being subject in their transmission to the laws and regulations of each country, respectively.

Parcel post packages may be closed and sealed, but the customs officers are authorised to open them (including the right to break the seals) in order to inspect the contents. In such cases, parcels that have been opened will be closed again with official seals.

III.-(1.) A letter or communication of the nature of actual or personal correspondence must not accompany, be written on, or enclosed with any parcel.

(2.) If any be found, the letter will be placed in the mails, if separable, and if the communication be inseparably attached, the whole package will be rejected. If, however, any such letter or communication should inadvertently be forwarded, the country of destination may collect on the letter double rates of postage according to the Universal Postal Convention.

(3.) No parcel may contain packages intended for delivery at an address other than the one borne by the parcel itself. If such enclosed packages be detected, they must be sent forward singly, charged with new and distinct parcel post rates on each of them.

IV. (1.) The following rates of postage shall in all cases be required to be fully prepaid with postage stamps of the country of origin affixed to the parcel, viz:

(2.) In the United States, for a parcel not exceeding one pound or four hundred and sixty grams in weight, twelve (12) cents, and for each additional one pound or four hundred and sixty grams or fraction thereof, twelve (12) cents; and in the Argentine Republic 30 centavos gold per kilogram or fraction thereof.

(3.) The parcels shall be promptly delivered to addressees at the post offices of address in the country of destination, free of charge for postage; but the country of destination may, at its option, levy and collect from the addressee for interior service and delivery a charge the amount of which is to be fixed according to its own regulations, but which shall in no case exceed five cents in the United States, and 30 centavos gold in the Argentine Republic, for each parcel whatever its weight.

V.-(1.) The sender will, at the time of mailing the parcel, receive from the post office where the parcel is mailed,

a

certificate of mailing on a form like Form I annexed hereto, for use in the United States service.

(2.) Each parcel shall bear a serial number.

(3.) The addressee of a parcel shall be advised of the arrival of the parcel by a notice from the post office of destination, in places where there is no house delivery.

VI. (1.) The sender of each parcel shall make two customs declarations which shall be attached to the list, upon a special Form provided for the purpose (see Form 2 annexed hereto) giving a general description of the parcel, its address, an accurate statement of the contents and value, date of mailing, and the sender's signature and place of residence.

(2.) The parcels in question shall be subject in the country of destination to all customs duties and all customs regulations in force in that country for the protection of its customs revenues; and the customs duties duties properly chargeable thereon shall be collected on delivery, in accordance with the customs regulations of the country of destination.

VII. Each country shall retain to its own use the whole of the postages and delivery fees it collects on said parcels; consequently, this Convention will give rise to no separate accounts between the two countries.

VIII.-(1.) The parcels shall be considered as a component part of the mails exchanged direct between the United States of America and the Argentine Republic, to be despatched to destination by the country of origin at its cost and by such means as it provides; but must be forwarded, at the option of the despatching office, either in containers prepared expressly for the service, or in ordinary mail sacks marked "Parcel Post ("Encomiendas Postales") and securely sealed with wax or otherwise as may be mutually provided by regulations hereunder.

(2.) Each country shall return empty to the despatching office by next mail all such boxes or sacks.

(3.) Although articles admitted under this Convention will be transmitted as aforesaid between the exchange offices, they shall be carefully packed in order to protect their contents against the risk of loss, damage or rifling in the course of transportation either to the exchange office in the country of origin or to the office of address in the country of destination.

(4.) Each despatch of a parcel post mail must be accompanied by a descriptive list in duplicate of all the packages sent, showing distinctly the list number of each parcel, the name of the sender, the name of the addressee with address of destination, and the declared contents and value; and