Page:Bearing and Importance of Commercial Treaties in the Twentieth Century, 1906.djvu/10

 for certain concessions in the Dominion tariff in respect of French produce.

This may be taken as a sample of the most imperfectly regulated international relations. The treaties and conventions between Great Britain and France are both ill-drawn and incomplete. They have grown up as occasion required, and should be overhauled and co-ordinated, and many things dealt with that are at present completely left out.

Let us now take a specimen of a treaty of commerce of a highly-developed character, such as the German-Austro Hungarian Treaty of December 6th, 1891, amended and completed by the treaty of January 25th, 1905.

It deals with almost every conceivable item of the commercial relations of these two countries in well-drawn articles which leave little or no discretion to official busybodies to tamper with the provisions by way of construction or interpretation.

Briefly, the treaty may be summarised as follows:It begins with stating that the contracting Powers engage not to restrict mutual commercial intercourse, by prohibition of importation, exportation, or transit, in any articles except—(a) Tobacco, salt, gunpowder, and other explosives, or articles of State monopoly; (b) For hygienic reasons; (c) War materials in exceptional circumstances.

Then follow regulations as to the carriage of salt and saline products, the carriage of munitions of war, agricultural diseases, the Hall-marking of plate, and some other special matters. Article 2 provides that no more favourable conditions in respect of import, export, or transit duties shall be granted by either party to a third Power than are accorded to the other party; and that any