INTERNATIONAL. 1903. INTERNATIONAL SANITARY CONVENTION. Signed at Paris December 3, 1903. (Vol. II, p. 2066.) DENUNCIATION. The following papers are self-explanatory: To the SENATE: With the view to receiving the advice and consent of the Senate to the action desired, I transmit herewith a report by the Secretary of State, with an accompanying letter from the Secretary of the Treasury recommending that the international sanitary convention, signed at Paris on December 3, 1903, be denounced on the part of the United States for the reason that its provisions are inimical to the interests of the United States and because of the failure of the signatory Governments to observe at least one of the convention's important stipulations. The PRESIDENT: WOODROW WILSON. The undersigned, the Secretary of State, has the honor to lay before the President, with the view to its transmission to the Senate to receive the advice and consent of that body to the action desired, a copy of a letter from the Secretary of the Treasury recommending that the international sanitary convention, signed at Paris on December 3, 1903, be denounced on the part of the United States for the reasons stated by him. While the convention itself makes no provision for denunciation, the right to denounce it is reserved by the signatory Government in the procès verbal of the deposit of ratifications. Respectfully submitted. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, Washington, May 17, 1920. The SECRETARY OF STATE, BAINBRIDGE COLBY. TREASURY DEPARTMENT, Washington, D. C. Washington, April 12, 1920. SIR: I have the honor to recommend, if it meets your approval, that action be inaugurated to denounce the international sanitary convention signed at Paris December 3, 1903, ratified by the Senate March 1, 1905, and proclaimed May 18, 1907. 29479--S. Doc. 348, 67-427 2877 Subsequent to the signing of the referred-to convention at Paris, investigation into the factors involved in causing the dissemination of plague, cholera, and yellow fever made it evident that there were various features in that treaty that were wholly inadequate, and, furthermore, their application would not satisfactorily protect the ports of the United States against the introduction of such diseases from abroad. In view of these later developments of a sanitary nature, a new convention was drafted, containing modifications of the provisions of the sanitary convention signed at Paris on December 3, 1903, and was signed by the representatives of the various countries at Paris on January 17, 1912. This later convention was ratified by the United States Senate on February 19, 1913. It was assumed at the time that the various other nations that were party to the formation of this treaty would later ratify it, but in some instances this has not been done, the referred-to nations, particularly Italy, preferring that the sanitary convention signed at Paris in 1903 should still remain in force. In view of the more modern conception on sanitary subjects, it is believed that the provisions of the sanitary convention of Paris of 1903 are distinctly inimical to the interest of this country, and steps should be taken to nullify that treaty. As a matter of fact, the actual operation of the sanitary convention of Paris of 1903 never proved to be of any advantage to the United States, and has on several occasions been utilized to the disadvantage of this Government. For instance, article 1 of that treaty provides that"each Government shall immediately notify the other Governments of the first appearance in its territory of authentic cases of plague or cholera. The notification and particulars contemplated in articles 1 and 2 shall be sent to the diplomatic or consular offices in the capital of the infected country." * * * In so far as the records of the Public Health Bureau indicate, none of the countries signatory to the convention have complied with this obligation. On various occasions the local health authorities at some of the English ports have notified the consular officers of the occurrence of plague in the respective ports, but apparently even this method of conveying the information has not been observed in the continental countries of Europe. In 1911 there was a very severe epidemic of cholera throughout Italy, and several ports of that country have from time to time been infected with plague. There is no record that the Italian Government has ever made this information public, and this notwithstanding the fact that vessels arriving at ports of the United States in 1911 were repeatedly found to have cases of cholera on board. The reservation made by this Government in the international sanitary convention made public February 26, 1913, made it possible for this Government to act for the prevention of the introduction of disease when reliable information is had of the occurrence of quarantinable diseases in foreign countries, and in this wise this country's interest does not suffer by reason of the nonnotification of such diseases by other countries. The department is of the opinion, in view of the foregoing, that it is infinitely better to have no international sanitary convention than to continue to abide by the terms of the Paris convention of 1903. |