The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-11-28
AGREEMENT <]OF POWERS. I.At of Anglo-Saxon De-
 = claratiOn.
 NAMING OF COMMISSION
United States and France to
 Seiect a Member.
The Fifth May be Chosen by Emperor of Austria In Case the Other
 Four Cannot Decide . on One. .... s..t

London, Nov. 27.--The foreign ofhce has issued the following English trans lation of the declaration signed al St. Petersburg by Sir Charles Hardinge, the British Ambassador. and Count Lamsdorff. the Russian Foreign Min ister:
 His Britanic Majestys Government and the Imperial Russian Government. having, agreed to enter into an inter- national commission conformably to Articles TX to XIV of The Hague con- vention of July 2s, 1899. for the pacific settlement of international disputes. the task being that of elucidating by means of an impartial and complete tnvesti- gation the questions in connection with the incident which occurred during the night of October 21-22. 1904. in the North Sea Con which occasion the flr- ing of guns on the Russian fleet caused the loss of boat and the death of two persons belonging to a British fishing fleet, as we'll as damages to other boats of that fleet and injuries to the crews of some of those boats) the under signed being duly authorized thereto, have agreed upon ten provisions:
 Selection of Commissioner.
 Article 1.-The international commis- sion of inquiry shall be composed of five members (commissioners), of whom two shall be officers of the high rank in the British and Imperial Russian navies respectively. Tho governments of France and of the United States shall each be requested to select one of their naval officers of high rank as a member of the commission. The fifth member shall be chosen by agreement between the four members above mentioned; in the event of no agreement being ar rived at between the four commissioners as to the selection of the fifth member of the commission. His Imperial and Royal Majesty, the Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary will be invited to select him. Each Of the two high contracting parties shall likewise ap- point a legal assessor to advise the commissioners, and an agent officially empowered to take part in the labors of the commission t T- ;.-l
 Article II-The commission shall in- quire into and report on all circum- stances relative to the North Sea in- cident, and particularly on the question as to where the responsibility lies and the degree of blame attaching to sub jects of the two high contracting parties or to subjects of other coun- tries, in the event of their responsi- bility being established by the inquiry.
 Article III-The commission shall settle the details of procedure which 1t will follow for the purpose of &C., complaining the task wherewith 1t has been entrusted.
 Will Furnish Evidence.
 Article IV-The two high contract ing parties undertake to supply the commission. to the utmost of their ability. with all the means and facilities necessary in order to enable 1t to &C., quaint itself thoroughly with and ap- preciate correctly the matters in dis putr
 Article V-The commissions shall assemble in Paris as soon as possible after the signature of agreement.
 Article VI-The commission shall present its report to the two high con- tracing parties. signed by all the members of the commission.
 Article VII-The commission shall make all its decisions by majority of the votes of the five commission CTS
 Article VIII-The two high contrac- tign parties undertake each to bear on receiprocal terms the expenses of the inquiry made by 1t previous to the as- sembly of the commission. The ex- penses incurred by the international commission after the date of its assem- bly in orRanizating its stan, and con- ducting the investigations which 1t will have to make, shall be equally shared by the two governments.
 Tn Faith whereof the undersigned have signed the present agreement, (declaring), affixing their seals to 1t Done In duplicate at St. Petersburg. No- vember 25. 1904."