Directory_and_Chronicle_1900 — Page 129

TREATY BETWEEN PRUSSIA AND CHINA

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Their persons, their families, their residence, and their correspondence shall be held inviolable. They shall be at liberty to select and appoint their own officers, couriers, interpreters, servants, and ttendants without any kind of molestation.

All expenses occasioned by the diplomatic missions shall be borne by the respective Governments.

The Chinese Government agrees to assist His Prussian Majesty's diplomatic agent, upon his arrival at the capital, in selecting and renting a suitable house and other buildings.

Art. IV. The contracting German States may appoint a Consul-General, and for each port or city opened to foreign commerce a Consul, Vice-Consul, or Cousular Age .t. as their interests may require

These officers shall be treated with due respect by the Chinese authorities, and enj. the same privileges and immunities as the Consular officers of the most favoured na.ions.

In the event of the absence of a German Consular Officer, the subjects of the contracting German States shule at liberty to apply to the Consul of a friendly Power, or in case of need to the Superinten lent of Customs, who shall use all efforts to sec re to them the privileges f this treat‹.

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Art. V.—All official communications addressed by the diplomatic agents of His Majesty the King of Prussia, or by the Consular officers of the contracting German Stites, t, the hine e authorities, shall be written in German. At present and until otherwise reel, they shall be accompanied y a Chinese translation; but it is hereby mutually agree that, in the event of a difference of meaning appearing between the

1 German and Chine e texts, the German Government shall be guided by the sense expre-se in the German text.

In like manner shall all official communications addressed by the Chinese autho- rities to the Ambassadors of Prussia. or to the Consuls of the contracting German States, be written in Chinese, and the Chine e authorities shall be gui ed by this text. It is further agreed that the translations may not be adduced as a proof in deciding difference.

In orde⚫ to avoid fu ure differences, and in consi·lertion that all diplomatists of Europe are acquai te with the French lan uage, the present treaty has been executed in the Ge min, the Chinese, and the French languages. All these vers ons have the same sen e and signification; but the Fre ch text shall be considered the original text of the treaty, and shall decide wherever the German and Chinese versions differ.

Art. VI. he subject of the contracting German States nay, with their families, reside, fr quent, and carry on trade or industry in the ports, cities, and towns of Canton, Swalow or Cho chow, Amoy, Foocho, Ningpo, Shanghai, Tongehow or Chefoo, Tientsin, Newchwang, Chinkiang, Kinkiang; Hankow, Kiungchow (Ilainan), and at Taiwan and Tamsi in the Island of Formosa. They are permitted to proceed to and from the e places with their vessels and merchandise, and within these I cant es to purchase, rent, or let houses or land, build, or open churches, churchyards, and hospitals.

A t. VII.-Merchant vessels belonging to any of the contracting German States may not enter other ports than those declared open in this treaty. They must not, contrary to law, enter other ports, or carry on ilicit trade along the coast. All vessels, detected in violating this stipulation shall, together with their cargo, be subject to, coufi cation by the Chiese Government.

Art. VIII.-Subjects of the contracting German States may make excursions in the neighbourhood of the open ports to a distance of one hundred li, and for a time not exceeding five days.

Those desirous of proceeding into the interior of the country must be provided with a passport, issued by their respective Diplomatic or Consular authorities, and countersigned by the local Chinese authorities. These passports must upon demand be exhibited.

The Chinese authorities shall be at liberty to detain merchants and travellers subjects of any of the contracting German States, who may have lost their passports