The Cordova daily times., 1916-02-25
ENGLAND 1NvoKEs TREATY SHE REJECTED
The Devil was sick, the Devil a saint would be. The Devil Mas well. the devil saint was he!

The Devil was well, the devil a saint hc
 The British ambassador faces impossible task in his attempt prove United States is bound by The Hague conventions order the release to British of the liner Apam, captured by the Germans and brought as prize into an American port He bases his request Article 2 of The Hague treaty. covering the rights and duties of neutral powers in naval as follows:
 "A prize may only brought into a neutral port count of unseaworthncs stress weather of fuel provisions Ii must leave as soon as the circumstances which justify the entry at end If does not the neutral power order to leave should it fail to obey, the neutral power must employ the at its disposal to release it, with its officers and crew, and intern the prize crew"
 Clearly that article of The Hague treaty - if if in force and effect would make plain in favor of the British demand But that Hague treaty not in effect in this controversy for two either of which sufficient First it not in force because Great Britain ratified it, although her representatives at The Hague convention signed it. I should be noted that the conventions and declarations not binding prior to the deposit of notifications at The Haguc says James Brown Scott director of the division of International law, Carnegie endowment "The mere signature of these conventional agreements may be regarded the n cation of intention to ray them but creates no legal ob gatOn."
 this particular case whatever Great Brtan's original may have been she since has clearly shown desire not to be party to this treaty she nvokes For she al ready has done her pickng and choosng of The Hague conventions which she will allow herself to be permanently bound Of the thirteen Hague conventions signed by Great Brtan's delegates that government later ratified eight and failed ray five Among the five not ratified the treaty quoted in the Appam controversy.
 Emphasizing that Great Britain did her ''pcking and choosing very carefully and deliberately is the fact that in ratfyng eight of the thirteen treaties signed by her Hague delegates she deposited reservations to particular clauses in She 'specked them closely and ratified refused cordngIy Hence her contention announced at Washington that The Hague rule ho if not ratified by Engand because is the embodiment of older international law prn cipes defeated by her seccon She had her chance accept along with the other Hague rules but declined
 Anyhow another clause of this very treaty makes the entire convention ineffective in the present if Eng land had signed it. Article 28 says:
 The provisions of the present convention do not apply except the contracting powers and then only all the bel ligerents parties to the convention
 In this Serbia which not party to The Hague convention is belgerent It a of out, all out and The Hague rule is not applicable
 On the other hand if the United States decides that The Hague rule does not apply but that the treaty Hum for German prizes in United States ports to what will it lead? If it is that Germany has at of destroyers will it that they American ports repeatedly for prize after prize they gobble them up?