Le Nord : revue internationale des Pays de Nord - 01.06.1938, Side 52
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LE NORD
the Oslo Convention seemed propitious, the initiative taken by
Dr. Colijn was instantly and cordially welcomed by all the Scan-
dinavian Foreign Ministers, and, in the month of March, the
government of the Netherlands was able to gather a conference of
commercial experts of the Oslo Group at the Hague. The dis-
cussions here, continued at Brussels during the next month, were
not without difficulties, due to all the restrictions of different
order which had grown up in the course of the preceding years
and had created interests which seemed justified in demanding
protection. Nevertheless, by united efforts the delegates succeeded
in presenting to their governments a draft convention which no
doubt meant a positive advance of the idea of a commercial truce
embodied in the Oslo Convention. In the form of a substantive
convention, denominated as an Arrangement accompanied by a
special protocol, the new agreement was finally signed at the
Hague on May 28th, 1937. The fact that it was inspired by the
Oslo policies was marked by the stipulation that the ratifications
were to be deposited at Oslo.
The Hague Arrangement makes a distinction between two
particular bodies within the Oslo Group, one comprising the
countries which have based their commercial policies essentially
on quantitative restrictions, the other comprising the countries
which only to a small extent have made such restrictions in addi-
tion to protective tariffs. To the first group belong Belgium-
Luxemburg and the Netherlands, to the second group the
Northern Countries, among which, however, Denmark has a
particular position by virtue of her bank control.
The governments of the countries of the first group now
engaged themselves to admit the importation of certain articles
originating from the co-signatory countries without any restric-
tion of quantity. The articles included in this admission were
enumerated in special lists and were of a highly varied character,
ranging from furs and spicery (this in Belgium), from coats and
cokes (this in the Netherlands) to paper, glass and other in-
dustrial products. Most of these articles were in advance subjected
to a system of licenses, and the meaning of the engagement
would be that licenses in such cases ought to be given without
particular discrimination. To the Northern Countries most im-
portance attached to the unrestricted admission of paper and
cardboard. In order to ensure that the importation of the articles
so enumerated would not be restricted by other measures, the