A. 2

In fulfilment of instructions received, I have the honour, on behalf of the Italian Government, to address an invitation to Your Excellency to the end that the British Government may be represented at the said International Copyright Conference and send an official delegation. The same invitation is addressed, through Your Excellency, to the Dominions, colonies, possessions, and territories under British mandate which have acceded to the International Union for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works. I would add that, in accordance with the practice followed at the Conferences at Paris and Berlin, the Italian Government have thought it advisable to extend the invitation also to the Governments of the States who have not yet acceded to the Berne International Union, so that they may send semi-official delegates. As regards the Dominions, colonies, possessions, and territories under British mandate who have not yet acceded to the above-mentioned International Union, I have therefore the honour to convey to them, through Your Excellency, an invitation to send semi-official delegates. At the same time I beg to inform Your Excellency that the delegates of States which are not members of the Union will preserve their full liberty of action, and can confine themselves to following the labours and deliberations of the Conference without assuming obligations of any kind ; the Italian Government, however, submit to the consideration of the individual Governments the question of the advisability of delegates from countries which are not members of the Union being provided with the necessary full powers in case they should recognize the expediency of acceding to the Berne International Copyright Convention. I request that Your Excellency may be so good as to acquaint me in due course with the decisions of the British Government and of the other Governments interested in the matters referred to above concerning the Italian Government's invitation to the International Conference at Rome. I have, &c., Torretta. The Right Hon. Sir Austen Chamberlain, K.G., M.P., &c. Sir,- — Foreign Office, S.W. 1, sth April, 1927. In reply to the Marquess della Torretta's note of the 16th ultimo, I have the honour to inform you that His Majesty's Government in Great Britain accept the invitation of the Italian Government to be represented at the International Copyright Conference to be held in Rome in October next. 2. The names of the delegates who will represent His Majesty's Government, and the decisions of the other parts of the Empire, will be communicated to you in due course. I have, &c., (For the Secretary of State), G. H. Villiers. Monsieur Augusto Rosso.

No. 26. New Zealand, Dominions No. 283. Sir, — Downing Street, 9th May, 1927. With reference to my despatch, Dominions No. 360, of the 11th August, 1926, I have the honour to transmit, for the information of His Majesty's Government in New Zealand, copies of an extract from the London Gazette of the 26th April, containing the Merchant Shipping (Anti-Scorbutics) Order in Council, 1927, dated the 22nd April. I have, &c., L. S. AMERY. Governor-General His Excellency General Sir C. Fergusson, Bart., LL.D., G.C.M.G., K.C.8., D.5.0., M.V.0., &c.

Enclosure. At the Court at Windsor Castle, the 22nd day of April, 1927. Present: The King's Most Excellent Majesty in Council. Whereas by section 200 and the Fifth Schedule of the Merchant Shipping Act, 1894, power is given to His Majesty by Order in Council to make provision as to the use of anti-scorbutics other than lime or lemon-juice, of such quality and composed of such materials and packed and kept in such manner and served out at such times and in such quantities as His Majesty may direct: Now, therefore, His Majesty, by virtue of the powers in this behalf by the said Act, or of all other powers enabling him in that behalf, is pleased, by and with the advice of His Privy Council, to give the following directions as regards the provision of concentrated orange-juice as an anti-scorbutic on board every ship navigating between the United Kingdom and any place out of the same, except in the case of (a) ships bound to European ports or ports in the Mediterranean Sea, and (b) such ships or classes of ships bound to ports on the eastern coast of America, north of the thirty-fifth degree

21