146 



CONGRESS. (THE PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE.) 



Government is hopeful of a general agreement 

 in this regard. 



In the Turkish Empire the situation of our 

 citizens remains unsatisfactory. Our efforts dur- 

 ing nearly forty years to bring about a conven- 

 tion of naturalization seem to be on the brink of 

 final failure through the announced policy of the 

 Ottoman Porte to refuse recognition of the alien 

 Mat us of native Turkish subjects naturalized 

 abroad since 1807. Our statutes do not allow this 

 Government to admit any distinction between the 

 treatment of native and naturalized Americans 

 abroad, so that ceaseless controversy arises in 

 cases where persons owing in the eye of interna- 

 tional law a dual allegiance are prevented from 

 entering Turkey or are expelled after entrance. 

 our law in this regard contrasts with that of the 

 European states. The British act, for instance, 

 dn.-s not claim effect for the naturalization of an 

 alien in the event of his return to his native coun- 

 try, unless the change be recognized by the law 

 of" that country or stipulated by treaty between 

 it and the naturalizing state. 



The arbitrary treatment, in some instances, of 

 American productions in Turkey has attracted 

 attention of late, notably in regard to our flour. 

 Large shipments by the recently opened direct 

 steamship line to Turkish ports have been denied 

 entrance on the score that, although of standard 

 composition and unquestioned purity, the flour 

 was pernicious to health because of deficient 

 " elasticity," as indicated by antiquated and un- 

 trustworthy tests. Upon due protest by the 

 American minister, and it appearing that the act 

 was a virtual discrimination against our product, 

 the shipments in question were admitted. In 

 these, as in all instances, wherever occurring, 

 when American products may be subjected in a 

 foreign country, upon specious pretexts, to dis- 

 crimination compared with the like products of 

 another country, this Government will use its 

 earnest efforts to secure fair and equal treatment 

 for its citizens and their goods. Failing this, it 

 will not hesitate to apply whatever corrective 

 may be provided by the statutes. 



The International Commission of Arbitration, 

 appointed under the Anglo- Venezuelan treaty of 

 1897, rendered an award on Oct. 3 last, where- 

 by the boundary line between Venezuela and 

 British Guiana is determined, thus ending a con- 

 troversy which has existed for the greater part 

 of the century. The award, as to which the 

 arbitrators were unanimous, while not meeting 

 the extreme contention of either party, gives to 

 (treat Britain a large share of the interior terri- 

 tory in dispute and to Venezuela the entire mouth 

 of the Orinoco, including Barima Point and the 

 Caribbean littoral for some distance to the east- 

 ward. The decision appears to be equally satis- 

 factory to both parties. 



Venezuela has once more undergone a revolu- 

 tion. Tin- insurgents, under General Castro, after 

 nguinary engagement in which they suffered 

 much loss, rallied in the mountainous interior 

 and advanced toward the capital. The bulk of the 

 army having sided with the movement, President 

 Andradc quitted Caracas, where General Castro 

 set up a provisional government with which our 

 minister and the representatives of other powers 

 inteml into diplomatic relations on the 20th of 

 November, 1899. 



The fourth section of the tariff act approved 

 Inly _'. Isu; appears to provide only for com- 

 mercial treaties which should be entered into by 

 the President and also ratified by the Senate 

 within two years from its passage. Owing to de- 

 lays inevitable in negotiations of this nature, 



none of the treaties initiated under that section 

 could be concluded in time for ratification by the 

 Senate prior to its adjournment on the 4th of 

 March last. Some of the pending negotiations, 

 however, were near conclusion at that time, and 

 the resulting conventions have since been signed 

 by the plenipotentiaries. Others, within both the 

 third and fourth sections of the act, are still under 

 considerations. Acting under the constitutional 

 power of 'the Executive in respect to treaties, I 

 have deemed it my duty, while observing the 

 limitations of concession provided by the fourth 

 section, to bring to a conclusion all pending ne- 

 gotiations, and submit them to the Senate for its 

 advice and consent. 



Conventions of reciprocity have been signed 

 during the congressional recess with Great Brit- 

 ain for the respective colonies of Guiana, Barba- 

 dos, Bermuda. Jamaica, and Turks and C'aicos 

 islands, and with the republic of Nicaragua. 



Important reciprocal conventions have also 

 been concluded with France and with the Argen- 

 tine Republic. 



In my last annual message the progress noted 

 in the work of the diplomatic and consular officers 

 in collecting information as to the industries and 

 commerce of other countries, and in the care and 

 promptitude with which their reports are printed 

 and distributed, has continued during the past 

 year, with increasingly valuable results in sug- 

 gesting new sources of demand for American prod- 

 ucts and in pointing out the obstacles still to 

 be overcome in facilitating the remarkable ex- 

 pansion of our foreign trade. It will doubtless be 

 gratifying to Congress to learn that the various 

 agencies of the Department of State are co-operat- 

 ing in these endeavors with a zeal and effectiveness 

 which are not only receiving the cordial recogni- 

 tion of our business interests, but are exciting 

 the emulation of other governments. In any re- 

 arrangement of the great and complicated work 

 of obtaining official data of an economic character 

 which Congress may undertake it is most im- 

 portant, in my judgment, that the results already 

 secured by the efforts of the Department of State 

 should be carefully considered with a view to a 

 judicious development and increased utility to 

 our export trade. 



The interest taken by the various states form- 

 ing the International Union of American Repub- 

 lics in the work of its organic bureau is evidenced 

 by the fact that for the first time since its crea- 

 tion in 1890 all the republics of South and Centra 

 America are now represented in it. 



The unanimous recommendation of the Interna 

 tional American Conference, providing for th 

 International Union of American Republics 

 stated that it should continue in force during i 

 term of ten years from the date of its organ i/a 

 tion, and no country becoming a member of th 

 union should cease to be a member until the em 

 of said period of ten years, and unless twelve 

 months before the expiration of said period i 

 majority of the members of the union had give i 

 to the Secretary of State of the United Stat s 

 official notice of their wish to terminate the union 

 at the end of its first period, that the union shoni 1 

 continue to be maintained for another period of 

 ten years, and thereafter, under the same condi- 

 tions, for successive periods of ten years each. 



The period for notification expired on July 1 I. 

 1899, without any of the members having given 

 the necessary notice of withdrawal. Its main- 

 tenance is therefore assured for the next t<n 

 years. In view of this fact and of the numeroi.s 

 questions of general interest and common benefit 

 to all of the republics of America, some of wliii h 



