Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 61 Part 4.djvu/500

 61 STAT.] MULTILATERAL-ITALIAN FLEET, ETC.-FEB. 10, 1947 of America may elect to transfer to other Powers, the Government of the United States of America will accept temporary custody only, and, upon transfer of custody by the United States Govern- ment to any such Power, full ownership will pass from the Italian Government to that Power. (b) None of the Governments concerned shall be obliged to ac- cept any ship assigned to it under this Protocol if such Government deems the ship unsuitable for its purpose, but in that case the Four Powers shall ensure that such ship, unless it is an auxiliary naval vessel, be scrapped or sunk by the Italian Government within nine months from the coming into force of the Treaty. 3.- A Commission, to be known as the Four Power Naval Commis- sion, shall be set up, to meet for the first time immediately after the signature both of the Treaty of Peace with Italy and of this Protocol. This Commission shall make all detailed arrangements necessary to effect the transfer of the excess units of the Italian Fleet, together with their spare parts and armament stores, to the beneficiary Powers, in conformity with the naval clauses of the said Treaty. 4.- By invitation of the French Government, the Commission will meet in Paris, where it will operate under the authority of the Council of Foreign Ministers, and carry out all preliminary work practicable prior to the coming into force of the Treaty. 5.- Upon the coming into force of the Treaty, the Commission will move to Rome, where it will operate under the authority of the Ambassadors of the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, the United States of America and of France. 6.- All orders and instructions by the Commission shall be issued in the name of the Four Ambassadors, and shall be communicated by them to the Italian Government for execution. 7.- The Commission shall have the right to co-opt the services of representatives of Greece, Yugoslavia and Albania, when matters affecting these States are under discussion, and to call for such Italian representation as may be found necessary to the execution of the work of the Commission. 8.- The Annex to this Protocol will be published at a later date. PART II. AND WHEREAS, by agreement between the Governments of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, and the United States of America, certain warships of the Royal Navy and of the United States Navy were, in 1944, transferred on loan to the Government of the Soviet Union; AND WHEREAS it is necessary to make provision for the return to the Governments of the United Kingdom and of the United States of America of the aforementioned warships now on loan; The Governments of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, the 3847 61 Stat.,Pt. 2,p. 1245 . Four Power Naval Commission. Port, p. 3849.

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