thereof, and by His Majesty the King of the Belgians in accordance with the constitutional laws of Belgium; and the ratifications shall be exchanged at Washington as soon as possible. In witness whereof, the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the present Convention in duplicate in the English and French languages and have thereunto affixed their seals. Done at the city of Washington this ninth day of December, one thousand nine hundred and twenty-five. WAIVER OF VISAS AND VISA FEES FOR NONIMMIGRANTS Exchange of notes at Brussels April 2 and 8, 1927 Entered into force April 15, 1927 Supplemented by agreement of November 26 and December 15, 19301 Department of State files The Minister of Foreign Affairs to the American Chargé d'Affaires [TRANSLATION] April 2, 1927 MR. CHARGÉ D'AFFAIRES: With reference to your communication of March 1, 1927, B 330, I have the honor to inform you that from the 15th of April next, and in continuation of the ruling which has been effective for the past six years, citizens of the United States going to Belgium will be exempted from the formality of a consular visa in order to enter the country where they will be permitted to stay for a period not exceeding four months, without the necessity of securing an authorization to remain or any Belgian visa. Moreover, American subjects will be allowed to enter the Kingdom one or more times in the course of a year on condition that the length of each stay on Belgian territory does not exceed four months, that when they leave the country the communal authorities of the district where they have resided be notified and that during their absence they retain no dwelling or residence. in Belgium. It is understood, however, that the diplomatic agents of the United States in Belgium, their family and their personnel, will continue to be exempt from the obligation of a “visa de séjour" which the American Consular agents of career will obtain free of charge. On its side the American Government will suppress from the same date, the collecting of all costs of visas in favor of Belgian subjects going to the United States without the intention of settling there. When requesting these 1 Post, p. 554. ' Pursuant to notice of termination given by the United States on that date. visas at the American Consulates those interested will have to conform to the same regulations as those which have been observed to this time. Visas for immigrants will continue to be delivered against payment of the agreed tax when the applicant has fulfilled the prescribed formalities. On the other hand, the representatives of the Government of the King will be exempt from all charges for visas and Diplomatic and Consular agents of career, their family and personnel, will obtain visas as previously. I would add that the formality of the visa and the payment of the required tax are maintained both with regard to American citizens wishing to enter the Congo and to those settling in Belgian territory or residing there continuously for more than four months. On the other hand, the suppression of the obligation to have a visa does not exempt the citizens of the United States going to Belgium from the necessity of registering at once, on their arrival, at the office for foreigners in the district in which they may reside, the said registration requiring no tax and being merely a police measure. Mr. JAMES C. DUNN, Chargé d'Affaires a. i. of the United States of America, Brussels. VANDERVELDE The American Chargé d'Affaires to the Minister of Foreign Affairs No. 340 MR. MINISTER, With reference to Your Excellency's note of April 2, 1927, (Direction C1 No. 2942/17 P-3e section-6e Bureau), on the subject of the arrangement with regard to the suppression of visa fees in the case of non-immigrant Belgians entering the United States, I am instructed by my Government to inform you that the terms proposed by the Belgian Government, as set forth in Your Excellency's note above, are acceptable to my Government and make it possible to put into effect the waiver of fees in the case of Belgian non-immigrants. I have further been instructed to inform the American Consular Officers in Belgium that the agreement will become effective on April 15, 1927, and that, commencing on that date, non-immigrant Belgians applying to American Consulates for visas will not be required to pay the visa fees therefor. Please accept, Mr. Minister, the renewed assurance of my highest consideration. His Excellency Mr. EMILE VANDERVELDE, Minister for Foreign Affairs. JAMES CLEMENT DUNN, NARCOTIC DRUGS Exchange of notes at Brussels February 6 and June 13, 1928 Department of State files No. 97 The American Ambassador to the Minister of Foreign Affairs MR. MINISTER: BRUSSELS, February 6, 1928 Pursuant to the instructions of my Government, I have the honor to inquire whether it would be agreeable to the Royal Belgian Government to arrange for the establishment of a closer cooperation between the appropriate administrative officials of our two countries with a view to bringing about stricter control of the illicit traffic in narcotic drugs. The arrangement which I am instructed to present for the consideration of Your Excellency's Government contemplates: 1) The direct exchange between the Treasury Department of the United States and the corresponding office in Belgium of information and evidence with reference to persons engaged in the illicit traffic. This would include such. information as photographs, criminal records, finger prints, Bertillon measurements, description of the methods which the persons in question have been found to use, the places from which they have operated, the partners they have worked with, etc. 2) The immediate direct forwarding of information by letter or cable as to the suspected movements of narcotic drugs, or of those involved in smuggling drugs, if such movements might concern the other country. Unless such information as this reaches its destination directly and speedily it is useless. 3) Mutual cooperation in detective and investigating work. The officer of the Treasury Department who would have charge, on behalf of the United States Government, of the cooperation in the suppression of the illicit traffic in narcotics is Colonel L. G. Nutt, whose mail and telegraph address is Deputy Commissioner in Charge of Narcotics, Treasury Department, Washington, D.C. In case the proposed arrangement meets with the approval of the Royal Belgian Government, I should be grateful if I might be informed of the name of the Belgian official with whom Colonel Nutt should communicate. I avail myself of this opportunity to renew to Your Excellency the assurances of my highest consideration. His Excellency Monsieur PAUL HYMANS, HUGH GIBSON Minister for Foreign Affairs. The Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs to the American Ambassador MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS MR. AMBASSADOR, [TRANSLATION] BRUSSELS, June 13,1928 1 Referring to my note of April 27, 1928, I have the honor to transmit to Your Excellency the enclosed copy of a report 1 addressed to the Minister of Justice by the Attorney General of the Court of Appeal of Brussels. The Attorney General considers that the agreement suggested by the American Government regarding the control of the drug traffic responds to a real need; he is of the opinion that it is the judiciary police of the Court of Brussels that would be the best qualified to enter into correspondence with the Treasury Department of the United States. In communicating to me this report, the Minister of Justice adds that he concurs in the opinion of the Attorney General. I avail myself of this occasion to renew to Your Excellency the assurance of my very high consideration. 1 Not printed. HYMANS |