Germany, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, the British Empire (with New Zealand and India),
Bulgaria, Chile, Denmark, the Free City of Danzig, Spain, Esthonia, Finland, France,
Greece, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland,
Portugal, Roumania, Salvador, Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, Siam, Sweden,
Switzerland, Czechoslovakia and Uruguay,
Desirous of making provision to secure and maintain freedom of communications and
transit, and of promoting for that purpose international co-operation in the organisation
and working of traffic;
Being also desirous of ensuring the application of the principle of the equitable
treatment of commerce to the international regime of railways;
Considering that the best method of achieving their present purpose is by means of
a general convention to which the greatest possible number of States can later accede;
Recognising that international agreement in respect of railway transport has already
been the subject of many special conventions between States and between railway administrations,
and that it is precisely by means of such special conventions that international co-operation
in this domain can make the most effective progress in the practical application of
principles established by a general convention;
Considering, however, that, so far from limiting the effect and scope of such special
conventions or interfering with direct relations and negotiations between railway
administrations, or in any way affecting the rights of sovereignty or authority of
States, it is, on the contrary, by a concise and systematic codification of recognised
international obligations in respect of international railway traffic that the principles
already established between certain States or certain administrations can be given
the widest possible extension, and that in the future the conclusion of new special
conventions, to suit the requirements and developments of international traffic, can
be facilitated in the greatest possible measure;
And whereas the Conference which met at Barcelona on March 10th, 1921, on the invitation
of the League of Nations, recommended that a General Convention on the International
Regime of Railways should be concluded within a period of two years; and whereas the
Conference which met at Genoa on April 10th, 1922, requested, in a resolution which
was transmitted to the competent organisations of the League of Nations with the approval
of the Council and the Assembly of the League, that the International Conventions
relating to the Regime of Communications contemplated by the Treaties of Peace should
be concluded and put into operation as soon as possible; and whereas Article 379 of
the Treaty of Versailles and the corresponding Articles of the other Treaties provided
for the preparation of a General Convention on the International Regime of Railways;
Having accepted the invitation of the League of Nations to take part in the Conference
which met at Geneva on November 15th, 1923;
Anxious to bring into force the provisions of the Statute relating to the International
Regime of Railways adopted thereat and to conclude a General Convention for this purpose;
The High Contracting Parties have appointed as their plenipotentiaries:
The President of the German Reich:
Dr. SEELIGER, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary, Delegate at the Second
General Conference on Communications and Transit, and
M. Paul WOLF, Ministerial Counsellor in the Ministry of Communications, Delegate at
the Second General Conference on Communications and Transit;
The President of the Austrian Republic:
M. Emerich PFLÜGL, Resident Minister, Representative of the Federal Government accredited
to the League of Nations, Delegate at the Second General Conference on Communications
and Transit;
His Majesty the King of the Belgians:
M. Xavier NEUJEAN, Minister of Railways, Mercantile Marine, Posts, Telegraphs and
Telephones of Belgium, Delegate at the Second General Conference on Communications
and Transit;
The President of the Republic of the United States of Brazil:
Commandant-Major E. LEITÃO DE CARVALHO, Staff Officer, Professor of the Staff College
at Rio de Janeiro, Delegate at the Second General Conference on Communications and
Transit, and
M. Eliseu DA FONSECA MONTARROYOS, Member of the Advisory and Technical Committee for
Communications and Transit, Delegate at the Second General Conference on Communications
and Transit;
His Majesty the King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the
British Dominions beyond the Seas, Emperor of India:
Sir Hubert LLEWELLYN SMITH, G.C.B., Chief Economic Adviser of the British Government,
Delegate at the Second General Conference on Communications and Transit;
For the Dominion of New Zealand:
The Honourable Sir James ALLEN, K.C.B., High Commissioner for New Zealand in the United
Kingdom;
For India:
The Hon. Lord HARDINGE OF PENSHURST, K.G., G.C.B., G.C.S.I, G.C.M.G., G.C.I.E., G.C.V.O.,
I.S.O., Privy Councillor, former Viceroy, former Ambassador;
His Majesty the King of the Bulgarians:
M. D. MIKOFF, Chargé d'Affaires at Berne;
The President of the Republic of Chile:
M. Francisco RIVAS VICUÑA, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the
Swiss Federal Council, to the President of the Czechoslovak Republic, to the President
of the Austrian Republic and to His Serene Highness the Governor of Hungary, Delegate
at the Second General Conference on Communications and Transit;
His Majesty the King of Denmark:
M. P. A. HOLCK-COLDING, Director of Section at the Ministry of Public Works, Member
of the Advisory and Technical Committee for Communications and Transit, Delegate at
the Second General Conference on Communications and Transit;
The President of the Polish Republic,
For the Free City of Danzig:
Professor Bohdan WINIARKSKI, Vice-Chairman of the Advisory and Technical Committee
for Communications and Transit, Delegate at the Second General Conference on Communications
and Transit;
His Majesty the King of Spain:
M. Guillermo BROCKMANN Y ABARZUZA, Inspector-General of Roads, Canals and Ports, Member
of the Advisory and Technical Committee for Communications and Transit; Delegate at
the Second General Conference on Communications and Transit;
The President of the Esthonian Republic:
M. Charles Robert PUSTA, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the President
of the French Republic, Member of the Advisory and Technical Committee for Communications
and Transit, Delegate at the Second General Conference on Communications and Transit;
The President of the Republic of Finland:
M. Urho TOIVOLA, Secretary at the Finnish Legation in Paris, Delegate at the Second
General Conference on Communications and Transit;
The President of The French Republic:
M. Maurice SIBILLE, Member of Parliament, Member of the Advisory and Technical Committee
for Communications and Transit, Delegate at the Second General Conference on Communications
and Transit;
His Majesty the King of the Hellenes:
M. A. POLITIS, Technical Representative of the Hellenic Government in Paris, Delegate
at the Second General Conference on Communications and Transit, and
M. Demetre G. PHOCAS, Captain in the Hellenic Navy, Delegate at the Second General
Conference on Communications and Transit;
His Serene Highness the Governor of Hungary:
M. Emile DE WALTER, Ministerial Counsellor at the Royal Hungarian Ministry for Foreign
Affairs, Delegate at the Second General Conference on Communications and Transit;
His Majesty the King of Italy:
M. Paolo BIGNAMI, former Under-Secretary of State, former Member of the Chamber of
Deputies, Delegate at the Second General Conference on Communications and Transit;
His Majesty the Emperor of Japan:
M. S. OKUYAMA, Counsellor of Embassy, Assistant Head of the Japanese League of Nations
Office in Paris, Delegate at the Second General Conference on Communications and Transit;
The President of the Republic of Latvia:
Dr. M. WALTERS, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to His Majesty the
King of Italy, Delegate at the Second General Conference on Communications and Transit;
The President of the Republic of Lithuania:
M. C. DOBKEVICIUS, Counsellor at the Lithuanian Legation in Paris, Delegate at the
Second General Conference on Communications and Transit;
His Majesty the King of Norway:
M. Gabriel SMITH, Delegate at the Second general Conference on Communications and
Transit;
Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands:
Jonkheer W. J. M. VAN EYSINGA, Professor at the University of Leyden, Member of the
Advisory and Technical Committee for Communications and Transit, Delegate at the Second
General Conference on Communications and Transit;
The President of the Polish Republic:
Professor Bohdan WINIARSKI, Vice-Chairman of the Advisory and Technical Committee
for Communications and Transit, Delegate at the Second General Conference on Communications
and Transit;
The President of the Portuguese Republic:
M. A. Bartholomeu FERREIRA, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the
Portuguese Republic to the Swiss Federal Council;
His Majesty the King of Roumania:
Professor Georges POPESCO, Inspector-General, Director-General of Ports and Waterways,
Delegate at the Second General Conference on Communications and Transit;
The President of the Republic of Salvador:
M. J. G. GUERRERO, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the President
of the French Republic and to His Majesty the King of Italy, Delegate at the Second
General Conference on Communications and Transit;
His Majesty the King of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes:
M. B. VOUKOVITCH, Director of the State Railways, Delegate at the Second General Conference
on Communications and Transit;
His Majesty the King of Siam:
M. Phya SANPAKITCH PREECHA, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to His
Majesty the King of Spain and to His Majesty the King of Italy, Delegate at the Second
General Conference on Communications and Transit;
His Majesty the King of Sweden:
Baron ALSTRÖMER, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Swiss Federal
Council;
The Swiss Federal Council:
Dr. Robert HEROLD, Director of the Railway Division of the Federal Department of Posts
and Railways, Member of the Advisory and Technical Committee for Communications and
Transit, Delegate at the Second General Conference on Communications and Transit;
The President of the Czechoslovak Republic:
Dr. Robert FLIEDER, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Swiss
Federal Council, and
Dr. Frédéric ZADNIK, Ministerial Counsellor at the Ministry of Railways, Delegate
at the Second General Conference on Communications and Transit;
The President of the Republic of Uruguay:
M. Benjamin FERNANDEZ Y MEDINA, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to
His Majesty the King of Spain, Chairman of the Advisory and Technical Committee for
Communications and Transit;