Panama: 41 miles from Caribbean to Pacific. Elevation of 85 feet overcome by three locks, 1100 by 100 feet. Depth of channel, 45 feet. First year, 1915, vessel passages, 1317; tonnage, 4,600,000. It cuts off 1500 to 2500 miles from the coast to coast voyage. It cost $400,000,000. It pays. Manchester: 35 miles from Mersey estuary to inland port. Original depth 26 feet, now 28. Foreign trade of port, first year, 1894, $34,500,000; foreign trade, 1911, $270,500,000. It eliminates transfer at Liverpool and short rail haul. It cost over $100,000,000. It pays.

Hamburg: 85 miles from the sea by River Elbe. Original depth low water 6.5 feet; in 1911, depth low water, 26 feet, high water, 32 feet. It made Hamburg the chief port of Germany. It paid.

The Soo: 10 miles from Lake Superior to fairway in St. Mary's River. Original depth, 11.5 feet; present depth, 20-21 feet in channel, 24.5 feet in locks. Maximum traffic, 1916, vessel passages, 25,407; tonnage, 91,800,000. It extends the lower lakes 400 miles westward, Superior 600 miles eastward. It pays.

The St. Lawrence: 46 miles to be rectified. Depth to be recommended by engineers. Cost to be estimated by engineers. It will extend the Great Lakes System to the seven seas. It will pay.—Shipping, May 10, 1920.

MEXICAN SITUATION.-Business men and political leaders are asking about the new men who are reported to be in control of Mexico. Some of the names are unknown to the State Department, while, all of the men are young and untried. To have our nearest neighbor, with its 14,000,000 people, suddenly fall into the hands of these young radicals, makes one realize that we are living in perilous times. It emphasizes the importance of giving political positions only to men of the highest character, Christian men who stand for righteousness.

We cannot vouch for the character of Gonzales, Alvarado, De la Huerta, Obregon, and these other Mexican leaders. The way Carranza was killed suggests that they are no better than their predecessors. Other information leads us to believe that these are the better young men of the recent Mexican leaders and that more may be expected of them than of any previous group. Let us hope they will not get fighting among themselves. Certainly the oil, gold, and other natural resources of Mexico have brought the nation trial and tribulation.-United States Bulletin, May 31, 1920.

CURRENT NAVAL AND PROFESSIONAL PAPERS Speculation I (Possibilities of the Transport Tank and Operation of Large Tanks in Warfare Ashore Somewhat after the Methods of Naval Tactics). Journal of the Royal United Service Institution, Feb., 1920. The Relation of the U. S. Naval Observatory to the Navy and Shipping Interests of the Country. By Rear Admiral J. A. Hoogewerff. Franklin Institute, April, 1920.

The Physics of Flight. Franklin Institute, May, 1920.

German Submarine Mine Layers. The Engineer, April 23, 1920. H. M. S. Hood. Institution of Naval Architects, March, 1920. German Submarines. Institution of Naval Architects, March, 1920. Mechanical Reduction Gears in Warships. Institution of Naval Architects, March, 1920.

The annual number of The Shipbuilder for 1920, published in May, 1920, contains digests of many important nautical articles published in all parts of the world during the previous twelve months. The entire number is highly recommended.

NOTES ON INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS

FROM MAY 10 TO JUNE 10

PREPARED BY

ALLAN WESTCOTT, Associate Professor, U. S. Naval Academy

KNOX PEACE RESOLUTION VETOED

The Knox Resolution declaring war with Germany at an end and providing for separate negotiations with that country passed the Senate by a vote of 43 to 38, and the House by a vote of 228 to 139, 19 Democrats supporting and 2 Republicans opposed.

On May 27 President Wilson vetoed the resolution and returned it to the House with a note in which he declared that such a peace as the resolution provided “would place an ineffaceable stain upon the gallantry and honor of the United States," and would accomplish none of the essential purposes for which we entered the war. The President's veto was fully anticipated. Interest thereafter centered in the attitude to be taken by the two parties regarding the League of Nations in the coming Presidential campaign.

PRESIDENT PROPOSES ARMENIAN MANDATE.-On May 24 President Wilson sent a special message to Congress urging that it grant to the Executive power to accept for the United States the mandate over Armenia offered by the Supreme Council at San Remo. The President in his message referred to the Senate resolution of May 14 congratulating the Republic of Armenia upon its recognition by the Allied Powers and the United States, expressing sympathy with the sufferings of its people, and requesting that an American war vessel be stationed at the port of Batum.

The President recognized the far-reaching significance of acceptance of the mandate, but urged it as a duty for the maintenance of peace and tolerable living conditions in territories separated from the former Turkish Empire. He referred to the report of the American Military Mission headed by General James G. Harboard which estimated that acceptance of the Armenian mandate would call for two divisions of American troops amounting altogether to 60,000 officers and men, and would cost $700,000,000 for a period of five years. The report suggested, however, that it might be better to spend "millions for mandates than billions for future wars."

SENATE REJECTS MANDATE.-The Senate Foreign Affairs Committee by a vote of II to 4 reported to the Senate a resolution briefly declining to grant the President power to accept the Armenian mandate. This reso

lution was passed by the Senate. The House declined to consider the question, on the ground that the Senate action was sufficient.

PRESIDENT TO FIX ARMENIAN BOUNDARY.-Washington, May 22.-President Wilson, it was officially announced this afternoon, has accepted the invitation of the Allied Powers to act as arbitrator for the settlement of the Armenian frontier disputes.

In assuming the responsibility, the President has accepted the suggestion of the San Remo conference that he do so without regard as to what the attitude of the United States ultimately may be concerning their proposal that this country also undertake the mandate over Armenia.

It is assumed that he will appoint one or more commissioners or investigators to collect the necessary data, and probably to grant hearings to representatives of the various interested powers, including Armenia, Turkey, France, Greece and Italy.

The question of fixing the boundaries of Armenia has been one of the most troublesome in connection with the negotiation of the Turkish treaty. Although the United States is not a party to this treaty, since it was not at war with Turkey, the President has repeatedly insisted that the boundaries of the new Armenian state should be such as to guarantee its integrity from aggressions by hostile Turks and Kurds and at the same time assure the country's economic development. When he raised objections to the last draft of these boundaries drawn up by the Allied and Turkish negotiators the Allied Powers insisted that he should assume the responsibility of arbitrating the exact lines.-Baltimore Sun, May 23.

ALLIED PREMIERS TO FIX GERMAN INDEMNITY

SPA CONFERENCE POSTPONED.-The Allied-German Indemnity Conference which was to have been held at Spa on June 21 has been postponed antil July 5, on account of the elections in Germany.

PRELIMINARY ALLIED CONFERENCES.-According to press statements of July 17 the Anglo-French Conference at Hythe fixed the sum total which Germany should be called upon to pay in reparation at 120 billion marks gold-about 28 billion dollars. It was also decided, according to reports, that Germany would be permitted to issue bonds covering the indemnity, which the Allied Powers could use in paying their own debts to the United States and other creditors.

According to an agreement of last December the German indemnity was to be divided as follows: 55 per cent to France, 15 per cent to England, 10 per cent to Belgium, 7 per cent to Italy, and the remainder to other Allied states. Italy has recently expressed dissatisfaction with this apportionment on the grounds that she did not share in the division of German battleships or colonies, and that the distribution of the indemnity should be based not on the actual losses but on the efforts expended in the war. To settle this question of distribution and reach final agreement on the terms to be presented to Germany, the French and British Premiers will confer in Paris on June 20, and a financial conference will meet in Brussels July 2-4.

It is uncertain whether or not the United States will be represented at this meeting. President Wilson will probably be called upon to confirm the statement that the United States will demand no share in the indemnity.

LEAGUE OF NATIONS

FIFTH SESSION AT ROME.-The fifth session of the League of Nations Council met at Rome on May 14, electing Signor Tittoni, President of the Italian Senate, as president of the session. The Council discussed whether President Wilson should be requested to convoke the First Assembly of the League, which is expected to be held in the autumn.

It was decided that a note should be sent to Russia expressing regret that the Soviet Government laid down conditions amounting to a refusal to permit a League Investigating Commission to visit Russia. To this communication Foreign Minister Tchitcherin later sent a reply expressing extreme astonishment that one of the members of the League-Poland— should be allowed by other members "full freedom to violate the peace and strangle justice by trying to convert the Ukraine into a vassal state," and stating that in view of Polish hostilities the reception of a League Commission was impossible.

PERSIA APPEALS TO LEAGUE.-A special meeting of the League Council was set for June 14 in London to consider difficulties arising out of the plebiscites in Schleswig and Upper Silesia, and also to consider Persia's protest to the league regarding Bolshevist attacks on the Persian port of Enzeli on the Caspian Sea. The Persian appeal was sent on May 21. It appears that naval vessels belonging to the anti-Bolshevist forces of Gen. Denikin had taken refuge at Enzeli and that the Bolshevists had bombarded and occupied the port. There were rumors also that Bolshevist forces had entered the Persian capital of Teheran, not far distant. The British Foreign Office later announced that the Russian occupation of Enzeli was only temporary and that the forces would soon be withdrawn.

LACK OF ENTHUSIASM for LeaGUE.—Persia's appeal to the league will add piquancy to the controversy which has arisen over the attitude of the British Government to the league. Accusations of luke-warmness have been made and it was suggested in reply that some of the zeal of the league champions was inspired by their distrust of Poland and they might not so eager if it had been Persia and not Soviet Russia on whose behalf the league would act.

Lord Robert Cecil, whose single-minded enthusiasm for the league ideal is universally recognized, has, however, returned to the charge to-night in a signed article in The Evening Standard. He says:

'I am profoundly convinced that at present the League of Nations is quite ineffective for the purpose for which it was formed, namely, the prevention of war. That does not mean that it could not be made effective. On the contrary I think it could be made so but it must be worked by people who really believe in it."

He then maintains that the need both Russia and Poland feel to resume economic relations with the powers forming the council of the league puts an immense power" in its hands and goes on:

"The real question is: Are the government in earnest in carrying out with all the power of the British Empire behind them the covenant into which they have entered both in spirit and in letter? If they are, Great Britain can in this respect lead the world, as it has led the world before. If the same energy and conviction were thrown into the meetings of the council of the league as are thrown into the meetings of the Supreme Council the league would soon be in a very different position from that which it occupies to-day."-N. Y. Times, May 22.

ONLY FOUR NATIONS OUTSIDE LEAGUE.-Washington, June 7.-It was pointed out at the State Department to-day that the adherence of Haiti to the covenant of the League of Nations on June 2 left only Honduras, Costa Rica, China and the United States, of the nations eligible for membership in the league at the present time, outside that organization.

Of these, it was stated, China had not ratified the Treaty of Versailles because of her objection to what she considered the injustice of the transfer of Shantung to Japan. In order, however, to gain admission to the league, China contemplates ratification of the Austrian peace treaty.-N. Y. Times, June 8.

AMERICAN DELEGATES TO CONFERENCE ON INTERNATIONAL COURT.-On June 1 Mr. Elihu Root with a corps of assistants sailed for the Hague to attend a conference of legal experts called by the Council of the League of Nations to formulate plans for the establishment of a Permanent Court of International Justice as provided by Article 18 of the League Covenant.

AUSTRIA AND HUNGARY

HUNGARY SIGNS PEACE TREATY.-The Hungarian Peace Treaty was signed at Versailles on June 4, Ambassador Wallace affixing his signature to the Treaty and the League Covenant on behalf of the United States. This treaty, like that with Germany, will now come up for ratification by the signatory powers. Hungary had considerable difficulty in finding envoys willing to accept the unpleasant task of signing the terms, but finally sent August Beymar, Minister of Labor, and Alfred Lazar, Minister Plenipotentiary.

AUSTRIAN FINANCES UNDER ALLIED CONTROL.-Paris, June 4.-" Chancellor Renner," the Paris Temps says, "has communicated to the Budget Commission of Parliament a note signed by M. Klobukowski and Sir William Goode in the name of the Reparation Commission, Vienna section, on which they represent France and England. This note announces officially to Austria the aid which the Entente Powers are giving to the economic resurrection, and authorizes the issue of Treasury bonds, for which the public property and all the revenues of Austria will serve as guarantee with regard to all foreign obligations, including war debts and reparations. "These Treasury bonds will cover credits for food and raw materials already accorded, or which will be accorded; but the Reparation_Commission will, first of all, have control of the finances of Austria. It will be eventually able to take in hand the imposition of taxes and will assure strict economy in state expenditures.

"Chancellor Renner has announced the imminent going into effect of a state of peace after the ratification by France of the Treaty of St. Germain. He has expressed the gratitude of the Austrian people for the assistance of the Entente and the hope that Austria will find in the Reparation Commission a benevolent tutor."-N. Y. Times, June 8.

GERMANY

EXTREMES GAIN IN GERMAN ELECTIONS.-Early returns from the elections in Germany on June 5 show gains for both Radicals and Reactionaries at the expense of the "middle parties "—the majority Socialists and Democrats. As a result the present coalition government will probably secure only a bare majority in the Reichstag, insufficient to guarantee its