Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 56 Part 2.djvu/806

 1892 16 Stat. 747; 18 Stat. (pt. 2) 61. INTERNATIONAL AGREEMENTS OTHER THAN TREATIES [56 SArT. Although the proposals of the American Government are far from meeting the wishes of the Belgian Government, such as they were set forth in previous notes of this Embassy, in view of the close cooper- ation between the U.S .A. and Belgium in the prosecution of the war, the Belgian Government is prepared to participate in the regime outlined in your Excellency's note of March 31st. The Belgian Government agrees that: A. No threat or compulsion of any nature will be exercised by the Belgian Government to induce any person in the U.S .A. to enlist in the forces of Belgium or of any other foreign government. It should be understood that this engagement is not intended: 1. to prevent the Belgian Government from informing non-declarant Belgian nationals in the U.S .A. of their military obligations according to the Belgian law, so long as nothing is said or done by the Belgian Government in the U.S.A. by way of threat or compulsion. 2. to waive the right of enforcing the provisions of the Belgian law and those of the Naturalization Con- vention of 1868 between the U.S .A. and Belgium, upon Belgians residing in the U.S.A. who were called to the colours by the Belgian Government and failed to answer this call before the arrangements proposed in your Excellency's note of March 31st becomes effective. B. Reciprocal treatment will be granted to American citizens by the Belgian Government, should the conscription of American citizens residing on Belgian soil be established by the Belgian Government; that is, prior to induction in the armed forces of Belgium, these American citizens will be granted the opportunity of electing to serve in the armed forces of the U.S .A. in substantially the same manner as set forth in your Excellency's note of March 31st. Furthermore, the Belgian Government shall agree to inform all American citizens who may be serving in its armed forces or former American citizens who may have lost their citizenship as a result of having taken an oath of allegiance on enlistment in such armed forces and who are now serving in those forces that they may transfer to the armed forces of the United States provided they desire to do so and provided they are acceptable to the armed forces of the U.S .A. It should be understood, however, that the U.S. Government will accord the same right of transfer to Belgian citizens now serving in the U.S.A. forces as is accorded U.S. citizens serving in Belgian forces. The arrangements for effecting such transfers are to be worked out by the appropriate representatives of the armed forces of the respective governments.

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