necessary. The attack is, in itself, a sufficient declaration. It may be better form to tell a scoundrel that you intend to horsewhip him on such and such a day if he is found at large, and it may be more polite to inform a person that you intend to knock him down before doing so. But the question is one of form rather than substance. Why should people resort to force; why should they not settle their difficulties in law courts of justice? And why should nations which, after all, are merely aggregations of men and women, not resort to courts of arbitration instead of killing and bruising like people bereft of reason? The answer seems to be that nations are not reasonable beings. It is maintained with some confidence that belligerents have no cause of complaint because they are rapped over the knuckles somewhat sooner than expected; but neutrals have a right to know when they, their citizens and their commerce are to be subjected to the burdens imposed upon neutrals during war. In the interest of neutrals a declaration of war seems highly desirable. ANNUAL MEETING OF THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF INTERNATIONAL LAW In the Editorial Comment of the January number (p. 134) the first annual meeting of the American Society of International Law was announced for the nineteenth and twentieth of April. The following careful and it is hoped satisfactory program has been prepared for a session of two days. Friday Morning at 10 o'clock. Address of Welcome. General Business. Address by the President of the Society. Papers and discussion on: 1. 2. Would immunity from capture during war of non-offending private property upon the high seas be in the interest of civilization? Is the trade in contraband of war unneutral and should it be prohibited international and municipal law? Friday Afternoon at 2:30 o'clock. Continuation of unfinished business. Papers and discussion on: 1. Transference from municipal courts to an international court of all prize cases. 2. Is the forcible collection of contract debts in the interest of international justice and peace? Friday Evening at 8 o'clock. Continuation of unfinished business. Papers and discussion on: The rights of foreigners in the United States in case of conflict between federal treaties and state laws. Papers and discussion on: Saturday Morning at 10 o'clock. The second Hague conference and the development of international law as a science. Saturday Afternoon at 2 o'clock. The President of the United States will Receive the Members of the Society at the White House. Saturday Evening at 7 o'clock. Banquet at the New Willard Hotel. An account of the meeting will be given in the July number. CHRONICLE OF INTERNATIONAL EVENTS WITH REFERENCES Abbreviations: Ann. Sc. Pol., Annales des sciences politiques, Paris; Arch. dipl., Archives diplomatiques, Paris; B., boletín, bulletín, bollettino; B. A. R., monthly bulletin of the International Bureau of American Republics, Washington; Doc. dipl., France: Documents diplomatiques; Dr., droit, diritto, derecho; For. rel., Foreign Relations of the United States; Ga., gazette, gaceta, gazzetta; Cd., Great Britain: Parliamentary Papers; Int., international, internacional, internazionale; J., journal; J. O., Journal Officiel, Paris; Mem. dipl., Memorial diplomatique, Paris; Monit., Moniteur belge, Brussels; N. R. G., Nouveau recueil général de traités, Leipzig; Q. dipl., Questions diplomatiques et coloniales; R., review, revista, revue, rivista; Reichs-G., Reichs-Gesetzblatt, Berlin; Staatsb., Staatsblad, Gröningen; State Papers, British and Foreign State Papers, London; Stats. at L., United States Statutes at Large; Times, the Times (London); Treaty ser., Great Britain: Treaty Series. April, 1906. 14 ITALY SALVADOR. Treaty of friendship, commerce and navigation, signed at Guatemala. Diario Oficial, November 9. May, 1906. 22 BELGIUM-LUXEMBURG. Convention signed at Brussels, additional to convention signed April 15, 1905. Workmen's accidents. Belgian law approving, December 30. Ratifications exchanged at Brussels, January 14, 1907. Monit. January 21-22; B. Usuel, December 30. See February 21, 1906. B. de l'office du travail, July, 1906, p. 714 et seq., for history of such arrangements. June, 1906. 5 BELGIUM ROUMANIA. Commercial convention signed at Bucharest Annales dipl. et cons. 5:30; B. Usuel, December 21; Monit. January 14, 15. Replaces the convention signed January 10-22, 1894 (State Papers 86:1019); takes effect the tenth day after exchange of ratifications; term, four years and one year after denouncement. ART. IV. It is understood that the most favored nation clause stipulated by this convention places no obstacle to advantages resulting from a customs union concluded or to be concluded by either of the high contracting powers, and that it does not exclude collection of additional duties on imports that obtain bounties for export or production. June, 1906. Ratified by Roumania, December 30, 1906/January 12, 1907; ratified by Belgium, December 21, 1906; ratifications exchanged at Bucharest, January 12. 12 NORWAY. Law relating to the diplomatic and consular services. General consular instructions for the consuls of Norway under this law were promulgated July 24, 1906. July, 1906. 6 COLOMBIA-PERU. Provisional modus vivendi respecting Putumayo signed at Lima. 13 FRANCE-PORTUGAL. Exchange of notes respecting reciprocal protection of trade-marks in China. J. dr. int. privé, 34:245. See China trade-mark regulations, North China Herald, February 15, 1907. 19 FRANCE GREAT BRITAIN. Agreement relative to the boundary between the Gold Coast and the French Sudan. Treaty ser. 1907, No. 8. 19 PERU. Decree approving convention signed at Rome, June 7, 1905, for the creation of a permanent international institute of agriculture. 24 PARAGUAY PERU. Treaty of friendship and arbitration signed at La Paz. B. Min. Rel. Ext., Lima, Year 3, No. 15. August, 1906. 13 PERU. Repeal of article 13 of law of October 23, 1888, respecting extradition. 29 BELGIUM-ITALY. Declaration signed at Brussels concerning gauging of merchant vessels. Promulgated by king of Italy, November 15, 1906. Ga. Ufficiale, December 27: B. Min. Aff. Est., December. The new declaration, a substitute for that of October 13, 1899, is based on the Italian regulation of December 21, 1905, which is substantially the same as the Belgian regulation of 1897. R. di dr. int. 1:565. September, 1906. 17 ARGENTINA-SPAIN. Ratifications exchanged at Buenos Aires of convention signed at Buenos Aires, September 17, 1902. Letters rogatory. Ga. de Madrid, January 3, 1907. 19 CANAL ZONE. Executive order. Extradition of criminals from Canal Zone to Panama. Under article 16 of treaty between Panama and United States signed at Washington November 18, 1903. Ga. Oficial, Panama, January 7, 1907. September, 1906. 26 ECUADOR. Ratification of international agricultural institute convention signed at Rome, June 7, 1905. Ecuador becomes a member of the fifth class mentioned in article 10. B. A. R. December. See August 16. 28 ITALY NICARAGUA. Ratifications exchanged at Paris of treaty of friendship, commerce and navigation signed at Managua, January 25, 1906. Promulgated by Italy, October 21, 1906. Ga. Ufficiale, November 16, 1906; B. Min. Aff. Est., November. Contains reciprocal most favored nation treatment, that is not however applicable to privileges accorded or to be accorded by Nicaragua to other Central American Republics. B. A. R. January. For a comparative examination of this treaty and those of Italy with Paraguay (August 22, 1893) and Salvador (April 14, 1906) see R. di dr. int. (Rome) 1:608 et seq. October, 1906. 12 AUSTRALIA. Customs tariff (British preference) act reserved by governor general for the significance of his majesty's pleasure, on the grounds that its provisions might be inconsistent with treaty obligations. G. B. Cd. 3339. The question of treaty obligations as affecting the dependencies of the empire is among the subjects proposed for discussion at the colonial conference to be held at London, April 15, 1907. G. B. Cd., 3337, 3340; Drage: The colonial conference, Fortnightly R. April, 1907; Milmer: Some reflections on the coming conference, National R., April. 18-20 BRAZIL-ITALY. Exchange of notes at Rio de Janeiro maintaining in force until December 31, 1908, the provisional commercial agreement resulting from the notes exchanged on July 5, 1900. Italian products entering Brazil continue to enjoy the rates of the minimum tariff so long as the import duties applicable in Italy to coffee originating from Brazil shall not exceed 130 francs per 100 kilograms. Diario Oficial, October 23, 1906; R. di dr. int. 1:567; Ga. Ufficiale, November 7, 1906. 19 FRANCE-GREAT BRITAIN. Agreement relative to the frontier between the British and French possessions from the Gulf of Guinea to the Niger. Treaty ser. 1907, No. 5. 20 BELGIUM-SWEDEN. Denouncement by Sweden of the convention signed July 21/August 2, 1838. Succession to property. Takes |