Mr. Broadhead to Mr. Gresham.
Legation of the United States , April 20, 1894 . (Received May 4.)
Sir: Your dispatch No. 43, of the date of March 29, 1894, having reference to change of treaty with Switzerland on the subject of military tax, has been received. In compliance with your request to send to the Department a copy of one or more of the treaties on that subject concluded by Switzerland with other countries, I inclose herewith a copy of article 5 of the treaty between Great Britain and Switzerland, signed on the 6th of September, 1855, and ratified at Berne on the 6th of March, 1856. This treaty is very liberal in its provisions toward citizens of either country residing or doing business in the other, and the fifth section or article covers the whole ground in regard to military service and a commutation tax, and in a very satisfactory manner. I give the English translation, as contained in the compilations of English treaties, which is no doubt in the library of the Department of State. The original, which is in French, is somewhat different from the English translation in this, that the words “for military on a march” follow immediately after the words “with the exception of lodging and supplies,” instead of being placed at the end of the article, as in the English translation; this makes the original much plainer in its meaning than the English translation: they are, however, substantially the same, the only exceptions from military requisitions of any kind being for military on a march according to the custom of the country, and demandable alike from citizens and foreigners. Not having as yet been able to procure copies of treaties with other powers, I send only a copy of the treaty with Great Britain.
I have, etc.,