19

A.—2

That one of these precautions is the insistence on passports and other documents which certify legally the nationality and character of travellers; That certain Panamanian Consuls in levying fees for the authentication or visa of passports have been applying, in the absence of a special disposition, the fee for the issue of passports to foreigners, which lias been highly onerous, and has occasioned protests which may have serious consequences for the Republic turning away from its territory the stream of tourists and travellers in transit which it is the duty of the authorities of the Republic to attract by all the means in their power; and That neither Law 39 of 1914, regulating the Consular Service, nor the Fiscal Code provide for the case of the visa of passports, or fix the fees to be paid for this service, leaving thus a defect which it is expedient to remedy without delay— Decrees. Article 1. Every foreigner travelling to the territory of the Republic, whether in transit or to reside there, shall provide himself with a passport from the Government of his country, or through its diplomatic or consular representative in the place in which he resides, and have it vise or authenticated by the Panamanian Consul at the place, or by the United States Consul if there be no Panamanian consular representative. Article 2. The Panamanian Consuls, or, in places where there are none, those of the United States, shall viser or authenticate the passports of foreigners who request it as soon as the parties interested fill up in triplicate the declaration given in Form No. 1 accompanying the present Decree. The parties interested shall affix their photograph to each copy of the form in question in the place indicated. Article 8. The Panamanian Consuls, or, in places where there are none, the Consular Officers of the United States, shall send to the Secretary for Foreign Affairs, immediately after the passport of a foreigner is vise, a copy of the declaration made by the latter, and shall retain one copy in the consular archives and deliver the third to the interested party. Article £. For the visa or authentication of the passports of foreigners the Panamanian Consuls, or those of the United States in places where there is no Panamanian Consul, shall collect the sum of two balboas (B/2'00), applying by analogy the tariff established by Article 72 of Law 63 of 1917 for the authentication of the signatures of home or foreign officials. Article 5. Every foreigner who may arrive in the territory of the Republic with a passport which is not vise or authenticated by the Panamanian Consul, or by the Consul of the United States in places where there is no Panamanian Consul, shall be detained by the respective authorities until he is legally identified, and shall be reshipped at his own cost to the place from which he came, should it be deemed necessary. The Consuls of the Republic, or the Consular Officers of the United States in places where there is no Panamanian Consul, shall notify the shipping agencies of the foregoing disposition, so that they may not receive on their vessels passengers travelling to Panamanian territory who have not their passports in order. Article 6. The dispositions contained in the present Decree shall not affect in any way Panamanian citizens to whom passports were issued in accordance with the regulations in Decree No. 32 of the 6th December, 1916, which shall be vise or authenticated by the consular representatives of Panama without a charge of any kind and without the necessity of the declaration referred to in Article 2 of this Decree. To be registered and made known. Given in the City of Panama, the 29th day of April, 1918. Ramon M. Valdes, The Secretary for Foreign Affairs. Narcisco Garat.

No. 31. New Zealand, Dominions No. 395. My Lord,— Downing Street, 26th July, 1918, With reference to my telegram of the 19th July, I have the honour to transmit to Your Excellency, for the information of your Ministers, copies of an extract from the London Gazette of the 16th July notifying the revocation of the two licenses which authorized the payment of fees, and of enemy agents'charges and expenses in relation to obtaining the grant, registration, or renewal of patents, designs, and trade-marks in an enemy country, or the payment, on behalf of an enemy, of fees and of agents'' charges and expenses for similar purposes payable in the United Kingdom or His Majesty's Dominions. I have, &c, WALTER H. LONG. Governor-General His Excellencv the Right Hon. the Earl of Liverpool, P.C., G.C.M.G., M.V.0., &c.