The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-12-08

was represented at the international Conference on Maritime LAW at Brus- sels. The conference met on the 2Sth of September last and resulted in the signature ad referendum of conven- ton for the unihcation of certain reg ulattons with regard to maritime as sistance and salvage and convention for the unification of certain rules With regard to collisions at sea. Two new projects of conventions which have not heretofore been con- sidercd In diplomatic conference. namely. one concerning the limitation of the responsibility of ship. owners, and the other concerning marine mort gages and privileges. have been sub mitted by the conference to the differ ent governments.
 The conference adjourned to meet again on April II, 1910.
 The international conference for the purpose of romoting uniform legisla- | ton concerning letters of exchange,
 which was called by the government of in September, 1909. has been postponed
 to meet at that capital in June, 1910.
 The United States will be appropriate ly represented in this conference~un- : made by Congress.
 The cordial invitation of Belgium to be represented by a. fitting display of and inventions at the worlds fair to be held at Brussels in 1910 remains to be acted upon by the Congress Mind
 
 artisans and producers in competition with their continental rivals, I renew the recommendation heretofore made i that provision be made for acceptance of the invitation and adequate repre- sentation In the exposition.
 The question arising out of the Bel gian annexation of the independent
 state of the Congo. which has So long and earnestly preoccupied the atten- tion of this government and enlisted the sympathy of our best citizens, is still open but In a more hopeful stage. This government was among the fore | most in the great work of uplifting the | uncivilized regions of Africa and urg- ing the extension of the benefits of civ commerce to that vast domain. and Is party to treaty engagements of all the interested powers designed to car " out that great duty to humanity, The way to better the original and ad- ventitious conditions, so burdensome to the natives and so destructive to their development, has been pointed out. by of American representatives, but by cumulative evidence from all quarters and by the investigations of Belgian agents The announced programs or reforms. striking at many of the evils known to exist. are an augury of better things. The attitude of the Uni- ted States Is one of benevolent encour- agement coupled with hopeful trust that the good work. responsibly under taken and zealously perfected to the accomplishment of the results so ar- dently desired. will soon justify the wisdom that inspires them and satisfy the demands of humane sentiment throughout the world.
 A convention between the United States and Germany. under which the nonworking provisions of the German patent law are made inapplicable to the patents of American citizens. was concluded on February 2S, 1908 and Is | conventions looking to the placing of 1 American inventors on the same foot ing as nationals have recently been ini- ments whose lawsg require the local | working of foreign patents.
 Under an appropriation made at the last session of the Congress, com mission was sent on American cruisers | to Monrovia to investigate the inter ests of the United States and It's citi- gems in Liberia. Upon its arrival at astically received. and during its stay
 in Liberia was everywhere met with i the heartiest expressions of good will l for the American government and peo- l pie and the hope was repeatedly ex- pressed on all sides that this govern 1 ment might see its way clear to do
 something to relieve the critical posl- l ure from external as well as internal
 and financial embarrassments. | The Liberian government anorded | every facility to the commission for
 ascertaining the true state of affairs. | The commission also had conferences i with representative citizens, interested | foreigners and the representatives Of | foreign governments in Monrovia. Wis l It's were made to various parts Of the republic and to the neighboring British colony of Sierra Leone. where tile com, | mission was received by and conferred
 with the Governor.
 It will be remembered that the in. l terest of the United States in the re- public of Liberia springs from the his | n fOunuatlOn | republic by the colonization of Ameri-
 can citizens of the African race. In an
 early treaty with hiSh hhsria tba saefe united n | States may be called upon for advice
 or assistance. Pursuant to tnls pro; l vision and in the spirit Of the moral
 beria, that republic last year asked | this government to lend assistance 'n | the solution of certain Of their nation- l al problems. and hence the commission | was sent.
 1 The report of our commissioners has 1 just been completed and IS now under
 examination by the, Department oi l State It is hoped that there may, re- | suit some helpful measures in which | case 1t may be my duty again to invite | your attention to this subject.
 note ne addressed dpeMien on January 2s. 1903. to
 the Department of State. conveyed an | invitation to the government of the
 United States to take part in a confer | | held in February or March. 1910, for | the purpose of devising means to rem | edy existing conditions in the Spit%- 1 bergen Islands.
 | This invitation was conveyed under l the reservation that the question of all | tering the status of the islands as | countries belonging to no particular | state, and as equally open to the citl
 zens and subjects of all states. should not be raised.
 1 The European powers invited to this l conference by the government or Nor | way were Belgium. Denmark, France 1 Germany, Great Britain, Russia, Swed-
 en and The Netherlands.
 The Department of State In view o1
 proofs filed with 1t in 1906, showing ! the American possession, occupation
 and working of certain coal-bearing
 lands in Spitzbergen. accepted the in vitation under the reservation above
 ton that all interests in those islands
 already vested should be protected and | that there should be equality of oppor- | tunity for the future. II was further
 pointed out that membership in the | conference on the part of the United l States was qualified by the considera ! ton that this government would not | become a signatory to any convention | al arrangement concluded by the Flu ropean members of the conference
 which would Imply contributory par
 ticipation by the United States in any obligation or responsibility for the en-
 forcement of any scheme of admins
 tration which might be devised by the 1 conference for the islands.
 The Near East.
 His Majesty. Mehmed V, Sultan oi
 Turkey. recently sent to this country
 special embassy to announce his ac-