TREATY OF COMMERCE AND NAVIGATION BETWEEN JAPAN AND FINLAND.

　His Majesty the Emperor of Japan and the President of the Republic of Finland, being desirous to strengthen the relations of amity and good understanding which happily exist between the two nations and to facilitate and extend their reciprocal commercial relations, have resolved to conclude a Treaty of Commerce and Navigation for that purpose, and to that end have named their Plenipotentiaries, that is to say:

　His Majesty the Emperor of Japan, RIOTARO HATA, Jusammi, a member of the first c1ass of the Imperial Order of the Sacred Treasure, His Imperial Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Fin1and, and

　The President of the Republic of Finland, HJ. J. PROCOPF., Minister for Foreign Affairs,

　Who after having communicated to each other their respective Full Powers, found to be in good and due form, have agreed upon the following articles:

Article I.
　The subjects or citizens of each of the High Contracting Parties shall have full liberty to enter and sojourn in the territories of the other, and

1. Shall, in all that relates to travel and residence, be placed in all respects on the same footing as native subjects or citizens.

2. They shall have the right, equally with native subjects or citizens, to carry on their commerce and manufacture, and to trade in all kinds of merchandise of lawful commerce, either in person or by agents, singly or in partnerships with foreigners or native subjects or citizens.

3. They shall in a1l that relates to the pursuit of their industries, callings, professions, and educational studies be placed in all respects on the same footing as the subjects or citizens of the most favoured nation.

4. They shall, on condition of reciprocity, be permitted to own or hire and occupy houses, manufactories, warehouses shops, and premises which may be necessary for them, and to lease land for residential, commercial' industrial, and other lawful purposes, in the same manner as the subjects or citizens of the most favoured nation.

5. They shall be at full liberty to acquire and possess every description of property, movable or immovable, which the laws of the country permit or shall permit the subjects or citizens of any other foreign country to acquire and possess, subject always to the conditions and limitations prescribed in such laws. They shall be permitted freely to use the property so acquired, in compliance with the laws of the country. They may dispose of the same by sale, exchange, gift, marriage, testament, or in any other manner, under the same conditions which are or shall be established with regard to native subjects or citizens. They shall also be permitted, on compliance with the laws of the country, freely to export the proceeds of the sale of their property and their goods in general without being subjected as foreigners to other or higher duties than those to which subjects or citizens of the country would be liable under similar circumstances.

6. They shall enjoy constant and complete protection and security for their persons and property; shall have free and easy access to the Courts of Justice and other tribunals in pursuit and defence of their claims and rights; and shall have full liberty, equally with native subjects or citizen, to choose and employ lawyers and advocates to represent them before such Courts and tribunals; and generally shall have the same rights as native subjects or citizens in all that concerns the administration of justice.

7. They shall not be compelled to pay taxes, fees, charges or contributions of any kind whatever, other or higher than those which are or may be paid by native subjects or citizens or the subjects or citizens of the most favoured nation.

　It is understood, however, the subjects or citizens of the High Contracting Parties shall have to conform themselves, in respect of the foregoing stipulations, to the special laws, ordinances and regulations of the country which are generally applicable to all foreigners alike.

Article II. 
　The subjects or citizens of each of the High Contracting Parties in the territories of the other shall be exempted from all compulsory military services, whether in the army, navy, national guard, or militia; from all contributions imposed in lieu of personal service; and from all forced loans and military requisitions or contributions unless imposed on them equally with native subjects or citizens as owners, lessees, or occupiers of immovable property.

　In the above respects the subjects or citizens of each of the High Contracting Parties shall not be accorded in the territories of the other less favourable treatment than that Which is or may be accorded to subjects or citizens of the most favoured nation.

Article III. 
　The dwellings warehouses, manufactories, and shops of the subjects or citizens of each of the High Contracting Parties in the territories of the other, and all premises appertaining thereto used for lawful purposes, shall be respected. It shall not be allowable to proceed to make a domiciliary visit to, or a search of , any such buildings and premises or to examine or inspect books, papers, or accounts, except under the conditions and with the forms prescribed by the laws for native subjects or citizens.

Article IV. 
　There shall be between the territories of the two High Contracting Parties reciprocal freedom of commerce and navigation.

Article V. 
　Articles, the produce or manufacture of the territories of one High Contracting Party, upon importation into the territories of the other, from whatever place arriving, shall enjoy the lowest rates of customs duty applicable to similar articles of any other foreign origin.

Article VI. 
　No prohibition or restriction of any kind whatever shall be maintained in imposed by either of the High Contracting Parties on the import, from whatever place arriving, from or export to the territories of the other, of any article, the produce or manufacture of the territories of either of the High Contracting Parties, which shall not equally extend to the like article imported from or exported to any other country.

　This provision is not applicable when the prohibition or restriction regarding importation or exportation:

1. would apply to articles which constitute a State monopoly;

2. has reference to the safety of the State;

3. is occasioned by sanitary reasons or protective measures against contagious diseases of individuals, animals or plants;

4. concerns the importation of seeds, which, on account of their origin are not deemed to thrive in the respective territories of one of the High Contracting Parties;

5. is occasioned by a special regime resulting from a State control of wines and alcoholic beverages.

Article VII. 
　Articles, the produce or manufacture of the territories of one of the High Contracting Parties, exported to the territories of the other, shall not be subjected on export to other or higher charges than those paid on the like articles exported to any other foreign country.

Article VIII. 
　Articles, the produce or manufacture of the territories of one of the High Contracting Parties, passing in transit through the territories of the other, in conformity with the laws of the country, shall be reciprocally free from all transit duties, whether they pass direct, or whether during transit they are unloaded, warehoused, and reloaded.

Article IX. 
　No internal duties levied for the benefit of the State, local authorities, or corporations which affect, or may affect, the production, manufacture, or consumption of any article in the territories of either of the High Contracting Parties shall for any reason be a higher or more burdensome charge on articles, the produce or manufacture of the territories of the other, than on similar articles of native origin.

　The produce or manufacture of the territories of either of the High Contracting Parties imported into the territories of the other, and intended for warehousing or transit, shall not be subjected to any internal duty mentioned in the previous paragraph.

Article X. 
　Limited liability and other companies and associations, commercial, industrial, and financial, already or hereafter to be organised in accordance with the laws of either High Contracting Party, and registered in the territories of such Party, are authorised, in the territories of the other, to exercise their rights and appear in the Courts either as plaintiffs or defendants, subject to the laws of such other Party.

Article XI. 
　Each of the High Contracting Parties shall permit the importation or exportation of a1l merchandise which may be legally imported or exported, and also the carriage of passengers from or to their respective territories, upon the vessels of the other; and such vessels, their cargoes and passengers shall enjoy the same privileges as, and shall not be subjected to any other or higher duties or charges than, national vessels and their cargoes and passengers.

Article XII. 
　In regard to the right of the vessels of either contracting country to enter the ports of the other, each contracting country shall place the vessels of the other on the footing of the most favoured nation.

Article XIII. 
　In all that regards the stationing, loading, and unloading of vessels in the ports, docks, roadsteads, and harbours of the High Contracting Parties, no privileges or facilities shall be granted by either Party to national vessels which are not equally, in like cases, granted to the vessels of the other country; the intention of the High Contracting Parties being that in these respects also the vessels of the two countries shall be treated on the footing of perfect equality.

Article XIV. 
　All vessels which according to Japanese law are to be deemed Japanese vessels, and all vessels which according to Finnish law are to be deemed Finnish vessels shall, for the purpose of this Treaty, be deemed Japanese and Finnish vessels respectively.

Article X V. 
　No duties of tonnage, transit, harbour, pilotage lighthouse, quarantine, or other analogous duties or charges of whatever nature, or under whatever denomination, levied in the name or for the profit of Government, public functionaries, private individuals, corporations, or establishments of any kind, shall be imposed in the ports of either country upon the vessels of the other which shall not equally, under the same conditions be imposed in like cases on national vessels in general or vessels of the most favoured nation. Such equality of treatment shall apply to the vessels of either country from whatever place they may arrive and whatever may be their destination.

　Without changing the provisions of this Treaty as far as they refer to pilotage fees, there shall, as to the duty of the vessels of either High Contracting Party to use pilot in each country, be in force what there shall have been prescribed in this respect in regard to foreign vessels in general.

Article X VI. 
　The coasting trade of the High Contracting Parties is excepted from the provisions of the present Treaty, and shall be regulated according to the laws of Japan and Finland respectively.

Article X VII. 
　Except as otherwise expressly provided in this Treaty the High Contracting Parties agree that, in all that concerns Commerce, navigation, and industry, any favour, privilege, or immunity which either High Contracting Party has actually granted, or may hereafter grant, to the ships, subjects or citizens of any other foreign State shall be extended immediately and unconditionally to the ships subjects or citizens of the other High Contracting Party it being their intention that the commerce, navigation and industry of each country shall be placed in all respects on the footing of the most favoured nation.

Article X VIII. 
　The provisions of the present Treaty Shall not apply to any special Tariff advantages, which either of the High0 Contracting Parties has or shall have granted to any neighbouring countries solely in the purpose to facilitate frontier Traffic on a determined region on both sides of the frontier, nor to the treatment, which is given to the national fishing industries of the High Contracting Parties

Article X IX. 
　The present Treaty shall be ratified and the ratifications thereof shall be exchanged at Helsingfors.

　It shall enter into operation on the tenth day after the day of the exchange of ratifications and remain in force until the expiration of six months after either of the High Contracting Parties shall have given notice to the other of its intention to terminate the same, and no longer.

　In witness whereof the respective Plenipotentiaries have signed the present Treaty and have affixed thereto their seals.

　Done at Helsingfors, in duplicate, this 7th day of June, 1924.

　(L. S.) R. HATA.

　(L. S.) HJ. J. PROCOPE

　PROTOCOL

　In signing this day the Treaty of Commerce and Navigation between Japan and Finland, the respective Plenipotentiaries have, hereto duly authorised, made the following provisions:

　By virtue of this Treaty Finland shall not claim:

1) the advantages which Japan has granted or shall grant in regard to fish and aquatic products taken in foreign waters in the vicinity of Japan;

2) the advantages which Japan has granted or shall grant to China in regard to the Customs Tariff with the sole object of encouraging specific, regional economic relations with Manchuria;

　Nor Japan shall claim:

1) the advantages which Finland has granted or shall grant to Esthonia;

2) the advantages which Finland has granted or shall grant to Sweden in regard to Navigation north of 59 degrees north latitude: nor

3) the advantages which Finland has granted or shall grant to Russia in regard to Fishing and Sealing in the Finnish territorial waters in the Arctic Ocean.

　It is understood, however, that if any of the foresaid advantages is or shall be granted to any other country than that to which it is expressly applied in the above paragraphs, Japan shall treat Finland and Finland shall treat Japan as favourably in that respect as such other country and in this respect no discrimination whatever shall be made against Japan or Finland.

　Done at Helsingfors, in duplicate, this 7th day of June, 1924.

　(L.S.) R.HATA.

　(L.S.) HJ. J. PROCOPE.