The Pensacola journal. (Pensacola, Fla.) 1898-1985, 1916-01-24
Paper Was Prepared by
Lansing, Root and DIR.
James Brown Scott.
LACKS FORMAL
RATIFICATION
Is Not Official Document,
But Has Been Approved
by Chief Authorities.
q AssocIArEp PRRss.


Washington, Jan. pa Pan
American Declaration of the Rights
of Nations" prepared by Secretary
Lansing, EIihu Root and DR.. James
Brown Scott and adopted in executive
session by the American Institute of
International Law at its recent con-
vention held here under the auspices
of the Pan-American Scientific Con-
gress, was made public today by DR..
Scott, president of the institute.
Although the declaration lacks the
formal ratification of the twenty-one
American republics and therefore is
not an official document, its trainers
believe that it correctly sets forth the
official views Of all the American
commonwealth. Before the insti-
tute was called upon to consider it,
the declaration was submitted to and
approved by the chief authorities on
international law In the South Amer
lean republics, including Ambassador
Saurez and DIR. Alexandra Alvarez of
chile. II was unanimously adopted
January 6 by the institute, whose
membership Of 105 is made up of five
experts on international law from
each Of the twenty-one American re-
publics.
The declaration, it is said, EN-,
bodies the Institutes conception of
only elemental national rights and
will be further considered at the next
meeting of the institute in Havana
next year. It contains rrve primary
sections which were fashioned with
the United States Declaration of In
dependence in mind as a model and
which read as follows:
81. Every nation has the right to
exist, to protect and to conserve its
existence; but this right neither inn
plies the right nor tustifies the act
of the state to protect itself or TO
conserve its existence by the commits
sion Of unlawful acts against limo
cent and unoffending states.
al. Every nation has the right to
independence in the sense that it has
a right to the pursuit Of happiness
and is free to develop itself without
interference or control from other
states, provided that in so doing it
does not interfere with or violate the
just rights of other states.
'III. Every nation is in law ana
before law the equal of every other
state composing the society of ma
tions, and all states have the right
to claim, and, according to the Dec
laration of Independence of the Unit
ed States, to assume, among the pow
ers Of the earth, the separate and
equal station to which the laws Of
nature and of natures God entire
them.
tTV. Every nation has the right
to territory within defined boundaries
and to exercise exclusive jurisdiction
over this territory, and all persons
whether native or foreign found
therein.
'v. Every nation entitled to a
right by the law Of nations is entitled
to have that right respected and
protected by all other nations for
right and duty ara correlative, and
the right of one is the duty Of all to
observe"
The preamble to the resolution en-
bodying the declaration reads as fol-
lows:
Whereas the municipal law Of civ
ilized nations recognizes and protects
the right to life, the right to liberty,
to which the Declaration of Indepen-
dence of the United States adds the
right to the pursuit of happiness, the
right to legal equality, the right to
property, and the right to the enjoy
ment of the aforesaid rights, Great
ing a duty on the part of the citizens
or subjects Of each nation to observe
them; end
"Whereas these fundamental rights,
thus universally recognized are IA
IConttuueS a Pass Ex.l