The Washington herald., 1909-03-22
RULES OF VAR ARE LAIDDOWN
State Department Makes Public
Text of Agreement.
List of Articles Free from seizure
tiOn of blockade.

/ The state Department made public yes
! terday the text Of an agreement In the
form Of a convention negotiated by rep
Iresentatives Of the ten leading maritime
powers Of the world az a conference in
I London. TO determine the rules 10 be ap-
piled in controversies growing out of
war which Were not clearly covered by
/ international laws or treaties.
/ The conference was called by Great
/ Britain. and grew out Of the action OF
| The Hague conference in agreeing 20 the
| appointment OF a prize court OF fifteen
/ before which questions involving the
/ rights OF neutrals. &c. could be brought
/ by either beIigerents or neutral nations
in connection with blockades and seizure
/ of vessels The treaties providing for
/ the appointment Of this prize court have
( not received the formal ratification OF
I all the nations which subscribed 20 them.
! Articles 20 be absolutely free from seiz-
I ure and under no circumstances 20 h7
/ considered COutrOband OF war are raw
/ cotton. raw wool. silk. jute. fax. hemp.
| and other raw materials OF textile indus
! tries az well as fabrics woven there
/ from; oleaginous nuts and seeds: cOpra,
\ india rubber. resins, gums. hops. raw
/ hides. horns bone and ivory. natural and
/ artificial fertilizers. comprising nitrates
[ and phosphstes susceptible Of use IN agri-
I culture. ores earths. CLAWS lime. chalk
J stone, chinaware and glassware, soaps
/ paints. varnish. soap ash. caustic soda,
| sulphate Of soda. ammonia. machinery
/ used IN agriculture. and many other ar
I ticles which. by their nature. would not
/ be Of value IN warfare.
! Absolutely COntTaband articles consist
i OF arms and powder Of every description
/ military equipment OF every kind and
| character; saddle. draft. and pack horses
! The list OF additional contraband ar
4 ticles is made up of food supplies. fodder
/ and grain. gold and silver. and flying ma
I chimes, and articles which might possibly
{ be used as munitions Of war
/ Assistant Secretary Of State Hunting
/ ton Wilson, who made known the con-
! tents OF the treaty, called attention ID
4 the fact that the absolutely free list
} comprises articles OF which the United
/ States alone exports and imports 20 the
/ extent OF approximately S400100009 pei
I annum- The conditional list comprises
! articles OF which this country exports and
imports 10 the extent Of $500. .000o00.
! The ten maritime nations which signed
/ the convention agree that blockades shall
! be confined 10 the ports and coasts be
! longing 20 or occupied by the enemy
and that a blockade 10 be binding mus,
( be effective. The Anglo-American doc
l trine Of notice of blockade was adopted
! over the continental doctrine.
/ A compromise was reached in the mat
/ Ter OF what constitutes a continuous vOy-
/ age.
| An important innovation Of the conven-
| tion provides that neutral vessel seized
/ by any Of the belligerents cannot be de-
I strOyed by the captOr. but must be con
/ Quoted irto the proper port in order that
\ the validity Of the capture may be decided
/ by a prize court This article is modified
| somewhat by an article which provides
| that neutral vessels captured by a bellig-
/ erent vessel may be destroyed II the ob.
/ servance OF article IS tended 70 jeopardizs
/ the safety OF the war vessel or the sue
| cess Of the operations in which the latter
was actually engaged.
| Assistant Secretary Wilson. in making
| the convention public, said that the State
| Department was gratifed at the rules
adopted and agreed upon. He said also
| the general board Of the navy had ex-
amined the convention and approved al
| the rules laid down