3. This agreement shall continue in force until six months from the date when either party shall notify the other of its intention to terminate it.

Done in duplicate at London, the 19th day of November, 1907.

[SEAL] [SEAL]

WHITELAW REID.
E. GRAY.

[For correspondence relative to customs administration see under Germany, p. 494.]

AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE UNITED KINGDOM, FRANCE, AND ITALY, RESPECTING ABYSSINIA.

Signed at London, December 13, 1906.

[Translation.]

It being the common interest of France, Great Britain, and Italy to maintain intact the integrity of Ethiopia, to provide for every kind of disturbance in the political conditions of the Ethiopian Empire, to come to a mutual understanding in regard to their attitude in the event of any change in the situation arising in Ethiopia, and to prevent the action of the three States in protecting their respective interests, both in the British, French, and Italian possessions bordering on Ethopia and in Ethiopia itself, resulting in injury to the interests of any of them, the Government of the French Republic, the Government of His Britannic Majesty, and the Government of Italy have assented to the following agreement:

ARTICLE 1. France, Great Britain, and Italy shall cooperate in maintaining the political and territorial status quo in Ethiopia as determined by the state of affairs at present existing, and by the following agreements:

(a) The Anglo-Italian protocols of the 24th March and 15th April, 1891, and of 5th May, 1894, and the subsequent agreements modifying them, including the reserves formulated by the French Government in 1894 and 1895.

(b) The Anglo-Ethiopian convention of 14th May, 1897, and its

annexes.

(c) The Italo-Ethiopian treaty of 10th July, 1900.

(d) The Anglo-Ethiopian treaty of 15th May, 1902.

(e) The note annexed to the above-mentioned treaty of 15th May,

1902.

(f) The convention of 11th March, 1862, between France and the Dannakils.

(g) The Anglo-French agreement of 2d-9th February, 1888. (h) The Franco-Italian protocols of 24th January, 1900, and 10th July, 1901, for the delimitation of the French and Italian possessions on the littoral of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

(j) The Franco-Ethiopian frontier convention of 20th March, 1897. It is understood that the various conventions mentioned in this article do not in any way infringe the sovereign rights of the Emperor of Abyssinia, and in no respect modify the relations between the three powers and the Ethiopian Empire as stipulated in the present agreement.

ART. 2. As regards demands for agricultural, commercial, and industrial concessions in Ethiopia, the three powers undertake to instruct their representatives to act in such a way that concessions which may be accorded in the interest of one of the three States may not be injurious to the interests of the two others.

ART. 3. In the event of rivalries or internal changes in Ethiopia the representatives of France, Great Britain, and Italy shall observe a neutral attitude, abstaining from all intervention in the internal affairs of the country and confining themselves to such action as may be, by common consent, considered necessary for the protection of the legations, of the lives and property of foreigners, and of the common interests of the three powers. In no case shall one of the three Governments interfere in any manner whatsoever, except in agreement with the other two.

ART. 4. In the event of the status quo laid down in article 1 being disturbed, France, Great Britain, and Italy shall make every effort to preserve the integrity of Ethiopia. In any case they shall concert together on the basis of the agreements enumerated in the above-mentioned article in order to safeguard

(a) The interests of Great Britain and Egypt in the Nile Basin, more especially as regards the regulation of the waters of that river and its tributaries (due consideration being paid to local interests), without prejudice to Italian interests mentioned in paragraph (b).

(b) The interest of Italy in Ethiopia as regards Erythræa and Somaliland (including the Benadir), more especially with reference to the hinterland of her possessions and the territorial connection between them to the west of Adis Abeba.

(c) The interest of France in Ethiopia as regards the French protectorate on the Somali coast, the hinterland of this protectorate, and the zone necessary for the construction and working of the railway from Jibuti to Adis Abeba.

ART. 5. The French Government communicates to the British and Italian Governments

(1) The concession of the Franco-Ethiopian Railway of 9th March, 1894.

(2) A communication from the Emperor Menelek, dated 8th August, 1904, the translation of which is annexed to the present agreement, inviting the company to whom the above concession was granted to construct the second section of the line from Dire Dawa to Adis Abeba.

ART. 6. The three Governments agree that the Jibuti Railway shall be prolonged from Dire Dawa to Adis Abeba, with a branch line to Harrar eventually, either by the Ethiopian Railway Company in virtue of the deeds enumerated in the preceding article, or by any other private French company which may be substituted therefor, with the consent of the French Government, on condition that the nationals of the three countries shall enjoy in all matters of trade and transit absolute equality of treatment on the railway and in the port of Jibuti. Goods shall not be subject to any fiscal transit duty levied for the benefit of the French colony or treasury.

ART. 7. The French Government will endeavor to arrange that an English, an Italian, and an Abyssinian representative shall be appointed to the board of the French company or companies which may be intrusted with the construction and working of the railway

from Jibuti to Adis Abeba. The British and Italian governments will reciprocally endeavor to arrange that a French director shall in like manner and on the same conditions be appointed to the board of any English or Italian company which has been or may be formed for the construction or working of railways running from any point. in Abyssinia to any point in the adjoining English or Italian territory. It is likewise agreed that the nationals of the three countries shall enjoy in all matters of trade and transit absolute equality of treatment, both on the railways which may be constructed by English or Italian companies and in the English or Italian ports from which these railways may start. Goods shall not be subject to any fiscal transit duty levied for the benefit of the British or Italian colonies or treasuries.

The three signatory powers agree to extend to the nationals of all other countries the benefit of the provisions of articles 6 and 7 relating to equality of treatment as regards trade and transit.

ART. 8. The French Government will abstain from all interference as regards the concession previously granted beyond Adis Abeba.

ART. 9. The three Governments are agreed that all railway construction in Abyssinia west of Adis Abeba shall, in so far as foreign assistance is required, be carried out under the auspices of Great Britain. The three Governments are also agreed that all construction of railways in Ethiopia, joining the Benadir to Erythraea to the west of Adis Abeba, shall, in so far as foreign assistance is required, be carried out under the auspices of Italy.

The Government of His Britannic Majesty reserve to themselves the right, in case of need, to make use of the authorization, granted by the Emperor Menelek on the 28th August, 1904, to construct a railway from British Somaliland through Ethiopia to the Soudanese frontier, on condition, however, that they previously come to an agreement with the French and Italian Governments, the three Governments undertaking not to construct without previous agreement any line entering Abyssinian territory or intended to join the Abyssinian lines, which would compete directly with those established under the auspices of any one of them.

ART. 10. The representatives of the three powers will keep each other fully informed, and will cooperate for the protection of their respective interests. In the event of the British, French, and Italian representatives being unable to agree, they will refer to their respective Governments, suspending all action meanwhile.

ART. 11. Beyond the agreements enumerated in articles 1 and 5 of the present convention, no agreement concluded by any one of the contracting powers concerning Ethiopia shall affect the other signatory powers of the present agreement.

Done at London, December 13, 1906.

Translation of the imperial letter of August 8, 1904, authorizing the railway company to undertake the construction of the line from Dire Daoua to Adis Abeba.

The Lion, conqueror of the tribe of Judah, Menelek II, elect of the Lord, King of Kings of Ethiopia, to the French minister plenipotentiary at Adis Abeba, greeting:

In order that the railway company may lose no time unnecessarily, I inform you that it is my will that it forthwith commence work on the line from Dire Daoua to Adis Abeba.

As regards the terms of the contract, however, we shall come to an arrangement later with the railway company.

Written the 2d Naasse, in the year of grace 1896. style), in the city of Adis Abeba (the 8th August, 1904).

Declaration signed at London, December 13, 1906.

(Abyssinian

The Italian minister for foreign affairs states that Italy has treaties with the Sultan of Lugh, the Sultan of Raheita, and the Dannakils respecting frontier questions. Inasmuch as these treaties must form the subject of negotiations with the Abyssinian Government, it is not possible to include them in the list contained in article 1, but the Italian Government reserves to itself the right to communicate them to Great Britain and France after the termination of the negotiations. His Majesty's secretary of state for foreign affairs and the French ambassador take note of the declaration made by the Italian minister for foreign affairs.

GREECE.

PROTECTION OF CITIZENS OR SUBJECTS OF GOVERNMENTS THAT ARE WITHOUT DIPLOMATIC REPRESENTATIVES IN GREECE.

File No. 5063.

Minister Jackson to the Secretary of State.

No. 509 Greek Series.]

AMERICAN LEGATION, Athens, February 23, 1907.

SIR: I have the honor to report that I have just received a call from a certain Paul de Frontac de Richelaud, who states that he is a Liberian subject, and who wished me to use my good offices to enable him to visit Turkey. Mr. de Frontac had no papers which showed his political status in any way, and I was unable to do anything for him beyond speaking of his case to my Turkish colleague and asking him to do what he could. I have no reason to believe that Mr. de Frontac is anything except what he claims to be. I understand that he has been in Greece for some time and that he has interested himself in the Macedonian question, in regard to which he has written articles for the French and Swiss newspapers. In any event, however, I should not have felt at liberty to take any official action in his behalf.

Similarly, not long ago, I was asked to give a passport to a Mexican lady who wished to go to Constantinople. Altogether, it is not infrequent that requests for assistance (especially of a financial nature) are made to this legation or to the consulate-general in this city by persons representing themselves to be citizens of South American. countries who have no official of their own nationality to whom they could appeal. In such cases I have always been glad to do what was possible, but, in the absence of instructions from the department, I have never felt at liberty to take any official action.

SIR: I have to acknowledge the receipt of your dispatch No. 509 Greek Series of the 23d ultimo, in regard to the protection of citizens or subjects of governments that are without diplomatic representatives in Greece, in which you cite two instances of application to you for assistance by such persons.