much reduced by these expenses that its possession would be of scant value to the heir considering the sacrifices in time and exertion required to obtain it.

Experience further shows that delays and attending costs are often caused by the difficulty Danish heirs find in coming to an agreement with lawyers and other professional attorneys in America owing to the differences in the languages and systems of law and jurisprudence. Again, it sometimes happens that Danish subjects do not hear of the death of their relative in the United States until long after it has occurred, whereas earlier information would have enabled them to avoid delay and costs and to take measures regarding the disposal of the estate to their better advantage.

My Government believes this situation may to some extent be remedied by a convention with the United States by which the consuls, vice-consuls, or consular agents of Denmark in this country would be authorized to represent and protect the interests of Danish heirs and creditors, without a special power of attorney, in every case of deaths of Danish subjects in the United States as well as in the cases of Danish heirs to the estate of a person deceased in the United States.

I am therefore instructed to inquire of your excellency whether the Government of the United States would be disposed to enter upon the negotiation of such a convention, and if so, what scope the American Government would like the convention to have.

Be pleased, etc.,

File No. 4825.

No. 678.]

The Secretary of State to the Danish Minister.

C. BRUN.

DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, May 2, 1907. SIR: I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your note of February 25 last, in which you mention certain inconveniences which sometimes arise in the settlement of estates in this country where the decedent or his heirs or representatives are Danish subjects, and inquire whether, in view of the considerable number of persons of Danish nationality in the United States, this Government would be disposed to negotiate a convention by which "the consuls, viceconsuls, or consular agents of Denmark in this country would be authorized to represent and protect the interests of Danish heirs and creditors without a special power of attorney in every case of deaths of Danish subjects in the United States, as well as in the cases of Danish heirs to the estate of a person deceased in the United States." The department does not understand whether it is proposed that there be granted to the consular representatives of Denmark in the United States the right of administration upon estates in this country, which would be equivalent to a grant of probate jurisdiction and the assumption by such representatives of extraterritorial rights for these purposes, or whether it is intended to confer upon these consular officers the right to take charge of or represent all Danish interests in the estate of a decedent, whether they be claims for or against such estate, and whether the decedent be a Danish subject or a person of other nationality.

In either case, however, it should be said that a treaty would be objectionable. The United States has entered into no treaty with any foreign country granting either of the rights in question, and it considers it undesirable to establish a precedent in this regard.

Accept, sir, etc.,

ELIHU ROOT.

AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES AND DENMARK FOR THE PROTECTION OF TRADE-MARKS IN CHINA.

(See under China, p. 266.)

85111-FR 1907--20

SIR: I have the honor to inclose a copy and translation of act of the National Congress, signed by the President on the 14th instant. declaring a loan of $20,000,000 for the amortization of the debt of the Republic and the redemption of certain concessions to be for public good.

This is done under paragraph 11 of article 25 of the constitution, defining as an attribute of the Congress: "To decree the making of loans on the credit of the nation. No loan shall be voted without a previous decree that it is for the public good."

Contracts made by the Dominican Government for the loan above referred to will be discussed by the Congress next week. It is said that a number of changes and amendments will be proposed and a considerable discussion is expected.

I have, etc.,

FENTON R. MCCREERY.

[Inclosure. Translation.]

[From Gaceta Oficial, Santo Domingo, May 15, 1907.]

Decree relative to loan of $20,000,000.

The National Congress, in the name of the Republic.

By virtue of paragraph 11 of article 25 of the constitution decrees: ARTICLE 1. It is declared to be for the public good to contract a loan for an amount not exceeding twenty million dollars American gold, with interest not exceeding five per cent per annum, setting aside for the payment of interest and the sinking fund the sum of one million two hundred thousand dollars gold annually, to be taken from the customs receipts of the Republic at the rate of one hundred thousand dollars gold monthly.

ART. 2. The proceeds of this loan shall be applied to the amortization of all the actual debts of the Republic, internal and external, and to the redemption of certain concessions which, being onerous or obstructive to the progress of the Republic, it is considered advisable to redeem. Any resulting surplus shall be applied only to the stimulation of enterprises and industries whose benefit has been previously recognized by the National Congress.

The contracts which may be made to effect the loan shall be submitted to Congress for constitutional action.

Transmit to the executive authority for constitutional action.

Done in the hall of the National Congress on the 13th day of May, 1907, 64th year of the independence and 44th of the restoration.

The president: Ramon O. Lovation.

The secretaries: M. M. Sanabia, C. A. Nouel.

Let it be executed, communicated by the corresponding department, published in all the territory of the Republic, and observed.

Done in the national palace of Santo Domingo, capital of the Republic, on the 14th day of May, 1907, the 64th year of the independence and the 44th of the restoration.

The President of the Republic,

Countersigned:

The Minister of Finance and Commerce,
FEDCO. VELAZQUEZ H.

RAMON CACERES.

CONVENTION BETWEEN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA AND THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC PROVIDING FOR THE ASSISTANCE OF THE UNITED STATES IN THE COLLECTION AND APPLICATION OF THE CUSTOMS REVENUES OF THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC, THE ENABLING ACT, AND OTHER CORRESPONDENCE RELATIVE TO THE INTERPRETATION AND ENFORCEMENT OF THE TREATY.

Convention concluded February 8, 1907. Ratification advised by Senate February 25, 1907. Ratified by President June 22, 1907. Ratified by President of the Dominican Republic June 18, 1907. Ratifications exchanged at Washington July 8, 1907. Proclaimed July 25, 1907.

BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.

A PROCLAMATION.

Whereas a convention between the United States of America and the Dominican Republic providing for the assistance of the United States in the collection and application of the customs revenues of the Dominican Republic was concluded and signed by their respective plenipotentiaries at the city of Santo Domingo, on the eighth day of February, one thousand nine hundred and seven, the original of which convention, being in the English and Spanish languages, is word for word as follows:

Whereas during disturbed political conditions in the Dominican Republic debts and claims have been created, some by regular and some by revolutionary governments, many of doubtful validity in whole or in part, and amounting in all to over $30,000,000, nominal or face value;

And whereas the same conditions have prevented the peaceable and continuous collection and application of national revenues for payment of interest or principal of such debts or for liquidation and settlement of such claims; and the said debts and claims continually increase by accretion of interest and are a grievous burden upon the people of the Dominican Republic and a barrier to their improvement and prosperity;

And whereas the Dominican Government has now effected a conditional adjustment and settlement of said debts and claims under which all its foreign creditors have agreed to accept about $12,407,000 for debts and claims amounting to about $21,184,000 of nominal or face value, and the holders of internal debts or claims of about $2,028,258 nominal or face value have agreed to accept about $645,827 therefor, and the remaining holders of internal debts or claims on

the same basis as the assents already given will receive about $2,400,000 therefor, which sum the Dominican Government has fixed and determined as the amount which it will pay to such remaining internal debt holders; making the total payments under such adjustment and settlement, including interest as adjusted and claims not yet liquidated, amount to not more than about $17,000,000;

And whereas a part of such plan of settlement is the issue and sale of bonds of the Dominican Republic to the amount of $20,000,000, bearing five per cent interest, payable in fifty years, and redeemable after ten years at 1024, and requiring payment of at least one per cent per annum for amortization, the proceeds of said bonds, together with such funds as are now deposited for the benefit of creditors from customs revenues of the Dominican Republic heretofore received, after payment of the expenses of such adjustment, to be applied first to the payment of said debts and claims as adjusted, and, second, out of the balance remaining to the retirement and extinction of certain concessions and harbor monopolies which are a burden and hindrance to the commerce of the country, and, third, the entire balance still remaining to the construction of certain railroads and bridges and other public improvements necessary to the industrial development of the country;

And whereas the whole of said plan is conditioned and dependent upon the assistance of the United States in the collection of customs revenues of the Dominican Republic and the application thereof so far as necessary to the interest upon and the amortization and redemption of said bonds, and the Dominican Republic has requested the United States to give and the United States is willing to give such assistance:

The Dominican Government, represented by its minister of state for foreign relations, Emiliano Tejera, and its minister of state for finance and commerce, Federico Velasquez H., and the United States Government, represented by Thomas C. Dawson, minister resident and consul-general of the United States to the Dominican Republic, have agreed:

1. That the President of the United States shall appoint a general receiver of Dominican customs, who, with such assistant receivers and other employees of the receivership as shall be appointed by the President of the United States in his discretion, shall collect all the customs duties accruing at the several customs houses of the Dominican Republic until the payment or retirement of any and all bonds issued by the Dominican Government in accordance with the plan and under the limitations as to terms and amounts hereinbefore recited; and said general receiver shall apply the sums so collected, as follows: First, to paying the expenses of the receivership; second, to the payment of interest upon said bonds; third, to the payment of the annual sums provided for amortization of said bonds, including interest upon all bonds held in sinking fund; fourth, to the purchase and cancellation or the retirement and cancellation, pursuant to the terms thereof, of any of said bonds as may be directed by the Dominican Government; fifth, the remainder to be paid to the Dominican Government.

The method of distributing the current collections of revenue in order to accomplish the application thereof as hereinbefore provided shall be as follows: