Papers Relating to the Foreign Relations of the United States, With the Annual Message of the President Transmitted to Congress December 5, 1905
Ambassador Tower to the Secretary of State.
Berlin, August 3, 1905.
Sir: I have the honor to inclose to you herewith three copies of the Reichs-Gesetzblatt, No. 33, of the 15th of July, 1905, containing the text in French and in German of a convention entered into by the Imperial German Government on the 18th of May, 1904, at Paris, with the Governments of Belgium, Denmark, Spain, France, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Sweden and Norway, and Switzerland for the purpose of checking and controlling in the countries of the respective signatory powers the traffic in girls (“traite des blanches,” “Mädchenhandel”).
This convention was ratified by the contracting powers at Paris on the 18th of January, 1905, and was published in Berlin on the 12th of July, 1905.
I have, etc.,
Arrangement respecting white slave traffic, signed at Paris, May 18, 1904.
His Majesty the German Emperor, King of Prussia, in the name of the German Empire; His Majesty the King of the Belgians; His Majesty the King of Denmark; His Majesty the King of Spain; the President of the French Republic; His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Emperor of India; His Majesty the King of Italy; Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands; His Majesty the King of Portugal and of the Algarves; His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias; His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway, and the Swiss Federal Council, being desirous of securing to women of full age who have suffered abuse or compulsion, as also to women and girls under age, effective protection against the criminal traffic known as the “white slave traffic,” have decided to conclude an arrangement with a view to concerting measures calculated to attain this object, and have appointed as their plenipotentiaries, that is to say:
- His Majesty the German Emperor, King of Prussia, His Serene Highness Prince Radolin, his ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the President of the French Republic;
- His Majesty the King of the Belgians, M. A. Leghait, his envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to the President of the French Republic;
- His Majesty the King of Denmark, Count F. Reventlow, his envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to the President of the French Republic;
- His Majesty the King of Spain, his excellency M. F. de Leon y Castillo, Marquis del Muni, his ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the President of the French Republic.
- The President of the French Republic, his excellency M. Th. Delcassé, deputy minister for foreign affairs of the French Republic;
- His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas, Emperor of India, his excellency Sir E. Monson, his ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the President of the French Republic;
- His Majesty the King of Italy, his excellency Count Tornielli Brusati di Vergano, his ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the President of the French Republic;
- Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands, M. le Chevalier de Stuers, her envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to the President of the French Republic;
- His Majesty the King of Portugal and of the Algarves, M. T. de Souza Roza, his envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to the President of the French Republic;
- His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias, his excellency M. de Nélidow, his ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary to the President of the French Republic;
- His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway, for Sweden and for Norway, M. Akerman, his envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary to the President of the French Republic;
- And the Swiss Federal Council, M. Charles Edouard Lardy, envoy extraordinary and minister plenipotentiary of the Swiss Confederation to the President of the French Republic.
Who, having exchanged their full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed upon the following provisions:
Article I.
Each of the contracting governments undertakes to establish or name some authority charged with the coordination of all information relative to the procuring of women and girls for immoral purposes abroad, this authority shall be empowered to correspond direct with the similar department established in each of the other contracting states.
Article II.
Each of the governments undertakes to have a watch kept, especially in railway stations, ports of embarkation, and en route, for persons in charge of women and girls destined for an immoral life. With this object instructions shall be given to the officials and all other qualified persons to obtain, within legal limits, all information likely to lead to the detection of criminal traffic.
The arrival of persons who clearly appear to be the principals, accomplices in, or victims of such traffic shall be notified, when it occurs, either to the authorities of the place of destination, or to the diplomatic or consular agents interested, or to any other competent authorities.
Article III.
The governments undertake, when the case arises, and within legal limits, to have the declarations taken of women or girls of foreign nationality who are prostitutes, in order to establish their identity and civil status, and to discover who has caused them to leave their country. The information obtained shall be communicated to the authorities of the country of origin of the said women or girls, with a view to their eventual repatriation.
The governments undertake, within legal limits, and as far as can be done, to entrust temporarily, and with a view to their eventual repatriation, the victims of a criminal traffic when destitute, to public or private charitable institutions, or to private individuals offering the necessary security.
The governments also undertake, within legal limits, and as far as possible, to send back to their country of origin those women and girls who desire it, or who may be claimed by persons exercising authority over them. Repatriation shall only take place after agreement as to identity and nationality, as well as place and date of arrival at the frontiers. Each of the contracting countries shall facilitate transit through its territory.
Correspondence relative to repatriation shall be direct as far as possible.
Article IV.
Where the woman or girl to be repatriated can not herself repay the cost of transfer and has neither husband, relations, or guardian to pay for her, the cost of repatriation shall be borne by the country where she is in residence as far as the nearest frontier or port of embarkation in the direction of the country of origin and by the country of origin as regards the rest.
Article V.
The provisions of the foregoing Articles III and IV shall not affect any private conventions existing between the contracting governments.
Article VI.
The contracting governments undertake within legal limits to exercise supervision as far as possible over the offices or agencies engaged in finding employment for women or girls abroad.
Article VII.
Nonsignatory states can adhere to the present arrangement. For this purpose they shall notify their intention through the diplomatic channel to the French Government, who shall acquaint all the contracting states.
Article VIII.
The present arrangement shall come into force six months after the exchange of ratifications. If one of the contracting parties denounces it, this denunciation shall only have effect as regards that party, and that only twelve months after the date of denunciation.
The present arrangement shall be ratified and the ratifications shall be exchanged at Paris with the least possible delay.
In faith whereof the respective plenipotentiaries have signed the present arrangement and thereunto affixed their seals.
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For Sweden and Norway, the minister of Sweden and Norway:
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[Untitled]
The undersigned plenipotentiaries, assembled this day for the purpose of proceeding to the signature of the arrangement intended to secure effective protection against the “whiteslave traffic,” have exchanged the following declaration respecting the application of the said arrangement to the respective colonies of the contracting states:
Article 1. The countries, signatories of the arrangement, have the right to accede thereto at any time for their colonies or foreign possessions.
They may do this either by a general declaration comprehending all their colonies or possessions within the accession, or by specially naming those comprised therein, or by simply indicating those which are excluded.
Art. 2. The German Government declare that they reserve their decisions of the subject of their colonies.
The Danish Government declare that they reserve the right to accede to the arrangement for the Danish colonies.
The Spanish Government declare that they reserve their decisions on the subject of their colonies.
The French Government declare that the arrangement shall apply to all French colonies.
The Government of His Britannic Majesty declare that they reserve the right to accede to the arrangement and to denounce it for each of the British colonies or possessions.
The Italian Government declare that the arrangement shall apply to the colony of Erythrcea.
The Netherlands Government declare that the arrangement shall apply to all the Netherlands colonies.
The Portuguese Government declare that they reserve the right to decide subsequently whether the arrangement shall be put in force in any of the Portuguese colonies.
The Russian Government declare that the arrangement shall be applicable in its integrity to all the territory of the Empire in Europe and in Asia.
Art. 3. Any governments who may subsequently have declarations to make on the subject of their colonies shall make them in the form provided in article 7 of the arrangement.
At the moment of proceeding to the signature of the arrangement His Serene Highness, Prince Radolin, ambassador of Germany, desires, in the name of his Government, to make the following declaration:
In the view of the German Government the rules which may exist between the German Empire and the country of origin respecting the mutual assistance of paupers are not applicable to persons who are repatriated in virtue of the present arrangement on their way through Germany.
In faith whereof plenipotentiaries have signed this procès-verbal.
- Radolin.
- A. Leghait.
- F. Reventlow.
- F. De Leon y Castillo.
- Deloassé.
- Edmund Monson.
- G. Tornielli.
- A. De Stuers.
- T. De Souza Roza.
- Nelidow.
For Sweden and Norway:
- Åkerman.
- Lardy.