Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 61 Part 4.djvu/679

 61 STAT.] PHILIPPINES--MILITARY BASES-MAR. 14, 1947 time in order to insure that laws and regulations of the United States and of the Philippines in relation to such matters shall, so far as may be possible, be uniform in character. ARTICLE XVI POSTAL FACILITIES It is mutually agreed that the United States shall have the right to establish and maintain United States post offices in the bases for the exclusive use of the United States armed forces, and civilian personnel who are nationals of the United States and employed in connection with the construction, maintenance, and operation of the bases, and the families of such persons, for domestic use between United States post offices in the bases and between such post offices and other United States post offices. The United States shall have the right to regulate and control within the bases all communications within, to and from such bases. ABTIcLU XVII REMOVAL OF IMPROVEMENTS 1. It is mutually agreed that the United States shall have the right to remove or dispose of any or all removable improvements, equip- ment or facilities located at or on any base and paid for with funds of the United States. No export tax shall be charged on any material or equipment so removed from the Philippines. 2. All buildings and structures which are erected by the United States in the bases shall be the property of the United States and may be removed by it before the expiration of this Agreement or the earlier relinquishment of the base on which the structures are situated. There shall be no obligation on the part of the United States or of the Philip- pines to rebuild or repair any destruction or damage inflicted from any cause whatsoever on any of the said buildings or structures owned or used by the United States in the bases. The United States is not obligated to turn over the bases to the Philippines at the expiration of this Agreement or the earlier relinquishment of any bases in the condi- tion in which they were at the time of their occupation, nor is the Philippines obliged to make any compensation to the United States for the improvements made in the bases or for the buildings or struc- tures left thereon, all of which shall become the property of the Philip- pines upon the termination of the Agreement or the earlier relinquish- ment by the United States of the bases where the structures have been built. ABTICLE XVIII SALES AND SERVICES WITHIN THE BASES 1. It is mutually agreed that the United States shall have the right to establish on bases, free of all licenses; fees; sales, excise or other taxes, or imposts; Government agencies, including concessions, such as sales commissaries and post exchanges, messes and social clubs, for the exclusive use of the United States military forces and authorized 4027

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