Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1916-01-24
Not Formally Ratified

Although the Declaration lacks the
formal ratification of the 81 American
republics and therefore is not an off1c-
ial document, its trainers believe that
it correctly sets forth the official views
Of all the American commonwealth.
Before the Institute was called upon to
consider it, the declaration was sub
mitted to and approved by the chief
authorities on international law in the
South American republics. including
Ambassador Suarez and DR.. Alexandra
Alvarez of Chile 1t 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 Fl American repub-
lies.
The Declaration, it is said. embodies
the Institutes conception Of only ele-
mental national rights and Will pc
further considered at the next meeting
Of the Institute in Havana next year.
Primary Sections
It contains five primary sections
which were fashioned with the United
States Declaration of independence in
mind as a model and which read as
follows:
81. Every nation has the right to ex-
ist. to protect and to conserve its eX-
istence; but this right neither implies
the right nor justifies the act of the
state to protect itself or to conserve
its existence by the commission OF un-
lawful acts against innocent and unof-
Tending states.
"2. Every nation has the right to in
dependenece 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 1t
does not interfere with or violate the
lust rights Of other states.
80. Every nation is in law and be-
fore law the equal Of every other
state composing the society of nations,
and all states have the right to claim,
and. according to the Declaration Of
Independence of the United States, to
assume among the powers Of the earth
the separate and equal station to which
the laws of nature and Of natures God
entitle them
~ Every nation has the right to ter
ritory within defined boundaries and to
exercise exclusive jurisdiction over this
IeTTltOES, anu dli PCiS olio "'iSei'SA 500
tive or foreign found therein.
IS Every nation entitled to a right
bv the law of nations is entitled to
have that right respected and pro-
tected by all other nations for right
and duty are correlative, and the right
>of one is the duty Of all to observe"
The Preamble.
The preamble to the resolution en-
bodying the declaration reads as fol-
lows:
Whereas the municipal law of civil
lized nations recognizes and protects
the right to life, the right to liberty, to
which the Declaration of independence
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 enjoyment OF the
aforesaid rights, creating duty on the
part Of the citizens or subjects OF each
nation to observe them: and
Whereas these fundamental rights,
thus universally recognized are famil-
lar to the peoples of all civilized coun-
tries, and
Whereas these fundamental rights
can be stated in terms Of international
Id" anu CdH NC 1PPllhl ~ eAS ASAe~
tons of the members of the society of
nations, one with another. just as they
have been applied in the relations of
the citizens or subjects Of the states
forming the Society Of Nations; and
Whereas these fundamental rights
Of national Jurisprudence. namely, the
right to life, the right to liberty, the
right to the pursuit Of happiness, the
right to equality before the law. the
right to property and the right to the
observance thereof are. stated in terms
of international law. the right Of the
nation to exist and to protect and to
conserve its existence; the right Of In
dependence and the freedom to develop
itself without interference or control
from other nations, the right Of equal
ity in law and before law; the right
to territory within defined boundaries
and to exclusive Jurisdiction therein:
and the right to the observance Of
those fundamental rights;
Therefore the American Institute
Of International Law unanimously
adopts At its first session, held in the
CITY Of Washington, in the United
States Of America, on the sixth day Of
January, 1915. in connection with and
under tho auspices Of the Second Pan
American Scientific Congress. the fol-
aowing llve articles. together with tho
commentary thereon. to be known as
the Declaration Of the Rights Of Ma
lions"
Then follow the articles of the Dec
Iaration.
Accompanied by Citations.
Additions and legal citations sup
porting the various articles Of the
Declaration supplement the Declare
ton itself. Some Of these, it is I'M
defvtood. were made by DR.. Scott after
exhaustive research and were approx
ed by other members Of the Institute.
After the first article Of the Declare