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MULTILATERAL AGREEMENTS, 1776–1917

Note of Withdrawal of British Reservation

A Delegate of Great Britain to the Secretary of State

British Embassy
Seal Harbor, Maine
July 18, 1911


Dear Mr. Secretary:

I have pleasure in informing you in confirmation of my telegram of to-day's date that my Government having just informed me that the Self-Governing Dominions of the British Empire (other than Canada) having been consulted by His Majesty's Government with regard to the words in Article III viz: "and no sealskins identified as the species known as Callorhinus alascanus, Callorhinus ursinus, and Callorhinus kurilensis", of the International Treaty, signed on July 7th at Washington "for the preservation and protection of the fur seals which frequent the waters of the North Pacific Ocean," have now expressed their assent to the words in question, their acceptance of which had been provisionally reserved at the time of the signature of the Treaty by the British Delegates to the Conference. I should therefore be very much obliged if you would cause this information to be conveyed to the Delegates who represented the United States at the Conference giving them to understand that the Treaty is now accepted in its entirety by His Majesty's Government on behalf not only of Great Britain and Canada but also of all the other British Dominions.

The whole Treaty, including the words in Article III above quoted, having now been thus accepted, the note of reservation addressed to the President of the Conference on July 7 by Mr. Pope and myself as British Delegates has now become ineffective and is hereby withdrawn by me on behalf of His Majesty's Government. Therewith also the note signed by the United States and Japanese Delegates at the same time explaining that they, while noting the reservation made by us, nevertheless signed the Treaty, has now become superfluous.

I have the honour therefore to request that you will have the goodness to communicate the above complete acceptance of the Treaty and withdrawal of the Note of Reservation to Mr. Secretary Nagel as President of the Conference, as it will no doubt be the wish both of the United States Delegates and of the United States Administration that the Treaty should be presented to the Senate of the United States at an early date.

With cordial congratulations on the successful issue of the Conference convoked by the United States and in the hope that the result of its delibera-