The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-11-28
Agreement Reached to Settle
 North Sea Incident
THE PAPERS ARE SIGNED
The British Ambassador and Rus sian Foreign Minister Agree to Terms of Declaration for
 Hague Convention.

London, November 27.-The foreign of fee has issued the following English translation of the declaration signed at St. Petersburg by Sir Charles Hardinge, the British ambassador, and Count Lams- dorff, the Russian foreign minister:
 His British majesty's government and the imperial Russian government having agreed to enter into an international commission of inquiry, assembled con formibly 10 articles ix to xiv of The Hague convention of July 29, 1899, for the pacific settlement of international dis putes, the task being that of eiucldating by means of an impartial and conscien- tious investigation the questions of fact connected with the incident which oc- cured during the night of October 21-22, 1904, in the North sea, Con which occa- sion the firing of guns on the Russian fleet caused the loss of a boat and the death of two persons belonging to a Bries ish fishing fleet, as well as damages to other boats of that fleet, and injuries to the crews of some of those boats. The understanding being duly authorized thereto, have agreed upon the following provisions:
 VIII Have Five Members.
 Article 1-The international commis- sion of inquiry shall be composed of five members Commissioned, of whom two shall be officers of the high rank in the British and imperial Russian navies, re- spectively. The governments of France and the United States shall each be re- quested to select one of their naval off, cers 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 arrived at between the four commissioners as to the selection of the fifth member of the commission, his imperial and royal majesty the Elm peror of Austria and King of Hungary, will be invited to select him. Each of the two high contracting parties shall like wise appoint a legal assessor to advise the commissioners and an agent officially empowered to take part in the labors of the commission.
 ." Article 1.-The commission shall in- quire into and report on all crcum- stances relative to the North sea inci- dent, and particularly on the question as to where the responsibility lies, and the degree of blame attaching to the subjects of the two high contracting parties, or to subjects of other countries In the event of their responsibility being established by the inquiry.
 !" Article III-The commission shall set tie the details of procedure which it will follow for the purpose of accomplishing the task wherewith 1t has been entrusted.
 Will Furnish Means.
 Article IV-The two high contract ing parties undertake to supply the com mission to the utmost of their ability with all the means and facilities neces- sary in order to enable 1t to acquaint it. self thoroughly with and appreciate cor rectly the matters in dispute.
 ;" Article V-The commission shall as- semble in Paris as soon as possible after the signature of the agreement.
 Article VI-The commission shall pre- sent it's report to the two high contract ing parties, signed by all the members of the commission.
 "'Article VII-The commission shall take all it's decisions by a majority of the votes of the fve commissioners.
 "'Article VIII-The two high contract ing parties undertake each to bear on reciprocal terms the expenses of the in- jury made by 1t previous to the assem- bly, of the commission. The expenses in cured by the international commission after the date of Its assembly in or ganizing it's staff. and conducting the in- vestigations which it will have to make, shall be equally shared by the two gov ernments.
 q" Tn faith whereof the undersigned have signed the present agreement, declaration, and affixing their seals to it. Done in duplicate at St. Petersburg, November 25, 1904"