The daily sentinel., 1909-12-07


pointment of commissioners to adjust
certain other questions, signed on the
11th day of January, 1909, and to the
ratification of which the senate gave
its advice and consent on March 3,
1903. has not yet been ratified on the
part of Great Britain.
commissioners have been appoint
ed on the part of the United States to
act Jointly with commissioners on
the part of Canada in examining into
the question of distractions in the st.
John river, between Maine and New
Brunswick, and to make recommenda-
tions for the regulation of the uses
thereof, and are now engaged in this
work.
Negotiations for an international
conference to consider and reach an
arrangement providing for the pres
ervation and protection of the fur
seals in the North Pacific are in prog
ress with the governments of Great
Britain, Japan and Russia. The at
titude of the governments interested
leads me to hope for satisfactory
settlement of this question as the ul-
innate outcome OF the negotiations.
"The second peace conference re-
Gently held at The Hague adopted a
convention for the establishment OF
an international prize court upon the
joint proposal of delegations of the
United States. France. Germany and
Great Britain. The law to be OBJ
served by the tribunal in the decision
of prize cases was. however, left in
an uncertain and therefore unsatis-
factory state. Article of the con-
vention provided that the court was
to be governed by the provisions of
treaties existing between the bellig-
erents; but that, in the absence of
such provisions. the court shall apply
the rules of international law. If no
generally recognized rule exists, the
court shall give Judgment in accord
ance with the general principles of
justice and equity. AS. however,
many questions in international mar
atime law are understood differently
and therefore interpreted differently
in various countries, it was deemed
advisable not to intrust legislative
powers to the proposed court, but to
determine the rules of law properly
applicable in n conference of the rep
resentative maritime nations. Pur-
suant to an invitation of Great Brit
ain, conference was held at London
from December 9, 1908, to February
20. 1909, in which the following
powers participated The United
States, Austria-Hungary, France,
Germany. Great Britain, Italy, Japan,
The Netherlands, Russia and Spain.
The conference resulted in the dec
laration of London unanimously
agreed to and signed by the partici-
pating powers, concerning, among
other matters, the highly important
subjects OF blockade, contraband, the
destruction of neutral prizes and con-
tinuous voyages.
"The declaration of London is an
eminently satisfactory codification Of
the international maritime law, and
it is hoped that its reasonableness
and fairness will secure its general
adoption. as well as remove one of
the difficulties standing in the way
of the establishment of an interna-
tional prize court.
Under the authority given in the
sundry civil appropriation act, ap-
proved March 4, 1909, the United
States was represented at the inter
national conference on maritime law
at Brussels. The conference met on
the 2Sth of September last, and re-
suited in the signature ad referen-
DUN of a convention for the unifica-
tion of certain regulations with re-
gard to maritime assistance and sal
wage and convention for the unfit
cation of certain rules with regard to
collisions at sea.
1.-The new projects of conventions
which have not heretofore been con-
sidered in a diplomatic conference,
namely: one concerning the liInita-
tion of the responsibility of ship
owners, and the other concerning
maritime mortgages and privileges,
have been submitted by the confer
enoe to the different governments.
"The conference adjourned to meet
again on April IL. 1910.
The International conference, for
the purpose of promoting uniform
legislation concerning letters of ex
change, which was called by the gov
ernment Of The Netherlands to meet
at The Hague in September. 1903.
has been postponed to meet at that