Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 49 Part 2.djvu/1655

 REGISTRATION OF TREATIES. 3661 English tc:»t. "13. In connection with this last point, it has been suggested that English text. the system of Registration of Treaties by the Secretariat of the League of Nations should from the beginning be so extended as to admit of the registration of Treaties, etc., made by and between States or Communities that have not yet been admitted as Members of the League of Nations. This would serve to complete the Regis- tration of Treaties and the public collection of Treaties which will be formed by the Treaty Part of the League of Nations Journal. The Secretary-General therefore proposes, although the Registration will be for this part absolutely voluntary, to accept applications for the Registration of Treaties, ~tc., even if none of the Parties is at the time a Member of the Lea~e of Nations. The American Oonsu:l at Geneva (Gilbert) to the Acting Legal Adviser 01 the Secretariat 01 the League 01 Natiom (McKinnon Wood) AMERICAN CONSULAR SERVICE, Geneva, Switzerland, January 1)3, 1934. My DEAR MR. McKINNON WOOD: I desire to acknowledge with appreciation your letter of January Ack.llowledgment by AmerICan Consul at 22, 1934 in which, in line with our conversations, you set forth the Geneya. position of the League of Nations with regard to the registration by the Secretariat and the pUblication in the" League of Nations Treaty Series" of international instruments concluded by the United States which shall be furnished by the Government of the United States for this purpose. My understanding of the League's position in this respect is as follows. (a) Such registration will not involve acquiescence by the United States in the stIpulation of Article 18 of the Covenant of the League of Nations that no instrument shall be binding until registration. (b) Such registration will result in publication of treaties and executive agreements between the United States and Members of the League and likewise those between the United States and other states not members of the Leagu.e in the" League of Nations Treaty Series", in the same category and with the same promptitude as treaties registered by the member states. (c) Such registration will result in the elimination of the delay in pUblication of instruments which may hitherto have been caused by the suspension of pUblication of treaties sent to the Secretariat by the United States until appropriate notification had been made to the interested member states. (d) Such registration will not involve an obligation on the part of the United States to pay any charges or expenses. With regard to points (b) and (c) above, my understanding of the arrangement envisaged is that, upon the United States request- ing the registration of a treaty, such registration will be effected at once and the treaty published in the same manner as though it had been presented by a member state; it is, however, entirely clear that,