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Article 18.
The present Convention does not impose upon a Contracting State any obligations conflicting with its rights and duties as a Member of the League of Nations.
Article 19.
The coming into force of the present Convention will not abrogate the obligations of Contract- ing States in relation to Customs regulations under Treaties, Conventions or Agreements concluded by them before November 3rd, 1923.
In consideration of such agreements being kept in force, the Contracting States undertake, so soon as circumstances permit, and in any case on the termination of the agreement, to introduce into agreements so kept in force which contravene the provisions of the present Convention the modifications required to bring them into harmony with such provisions; it being understood that this obligation is not applicable to the provisions of the treaties which terminated the war of 1914-1918, and which are in no wise affected by the present Convention.
Article 20.
In conformity with Article 23 (e) of the Covenant of the League of Nations, any Contracting State which can establish a good case against the application of any provision of the present Convention in some or all of its territory, on the ground of the grave economic situation arising out of the acts of devastation perpetrated on its soil during the war of 1914-1918, shall be deemed to be relieved temporarily of the obligations arising from the application of such provision, it being understood that the principle of the equitable treatment of commerce, which is accepted as binding by the Contracting States, must be observed to the utmost possible extent.
Article 21.
It is understood that the present Convention must not be interpreted as regulating in any way rights and obligations inter se of territories forming part or placed under the protection of the same sovereign State, whether or not these territories are individually Contracting States.
Article 22.
Should a dispute arise between two or more Contracting States as to the interpretation or application of the provisions of the present Convention, and should such dispute not be settled either directly between the parties or by the employment of any other means of reaching agree- ment, the parties to the dispute may, before resorting to any arbitral or judicial procedure, submit the dispute, with a view to an amicable settlement, to such technical body as the Council of the League of Nations may appoint for this purpose. This body will give an advisory opinion after hearing the parties and effecting a meeting between them if necessary.
The advisory opinion given by the said body will not be binding upon the parties to the dispute unless it is accepted by all of them, and they are free either after resort to such procedure or in lieu thereof to have recourse to any arbitral or judicial procedure which they may select, including reference to the Permanent. Court of International Justice as regards any matters which are within the competence of that Court under its Statute.
If a dispute of the nature referred to in the first paragraph of this Article should arise with regard to the interpretation or application of paragraphs 2 or 3 of Article 4, or Article 7, of the pre- sent Convention, the parties shall, at the request of any of them, refer the matter to the decision of the Permanent Court of International Justice, whether or not there has previously been recourse to the procedure prescribed in the first paragraph of this Article.
The adoption of the procedure before the body referred to above or the opinion given by it will in no case involve the suspension of the measures complained of; the same will apply in the event of proceedings being taken before the Permanent Court of International Justice, unless the Court decides otherwise under Article 41 of the Statute.
Article 23.
The present Convention, of which the French and English texts are both authentic, shall bear this day's date, and shall be open for signature until October 31st, 1924, by any State represen- ted at the Conference of Geneva, by any Member of the League of Nations and by any States to which the Council of the League of Nations shall have communicated a copy of the Convention for this purpose.