Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 62 Part 2.djvu/320

 [62 STAT. Notice of death in one country of a na- tional of the other. Provisional holding of intestate property. Status of consulr omfer as administra- tor. (a) To take and attest the oaths, affirmations or depositions of any occupant of a vessel of their country, or of any national of their country, or of any person having permanent residence within the territories of their country; (b) To authenticate signatures; (c) To draw up, attest, certify and authenticate unilateral acts, translations, deeds, testamentary dispositions and contracts of the nationals of the High Contracting Party by which the consular officers are appointed; and (d) To draw up, attest, certify, and authenticate unilateral acts, deeds, contracts, testamentary dispositions and written instruments of any kind, which are intended to have application, execution and legal effect principally in the territories of the High Contracting Party by which the consular officers are appointed. 2. Instruments and documents thus executed and copies and trans- lations thereof, when duly authenticated by the consular officer, under his official seal, shall be received as evidence in the territories of either High Contracting Party as original documents or authenti- cated copies, as the case may be, and shall have the same force and effect as if drawn by or executed before a notary or other public officer duly authorized in the territories of the High Contracting Party by which the consular officer was appointed; provided, always, that such documents shall have been drawn and executed in con- formity with the laws and regulations of the country where they are designed to take effect. ARTICLE IX 1. In case of the death of a national of either High Contracting Party in the territories of the other High Contracting Party, without having in the locality of his decease any known heirs or testamentary executors by him appointed, the competent local authorities shall at once inform the nearest consular officer of the High Contracting Party of which the deceased was a national of the fact of his death, in order that necessary information may be forwarded to the persons con- cerned. 2. In case of the death of a national of either High Contracting Party in the territories of the other High Contracting Party, without will or testament whereby he has appointed a testamentary executor, the consular officer of the High Contracting Party of which the de- ceased was a national and within whose district the deceased made his home at the time of death, shall, so far as the laws of the country permit and pending the appointment of an administrator and until letters of administration have been granted, be deemed qualified to take charge of the property left by the decedent for the preservation and protection of such property. Such consular officer shall have the right to be appointed as administrator within the discretion of a court or other agency controlling the administration of estates, pro- vided the laws governing administration of the estate so permit. 3. Whenever a consular officer accepts the office of administrator of the estate of a deceased countryman, he subjects himself in that 1598 TREATIES

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