obtained from the Consul of the nation to which the ship belongs a written certificate indicating the next port of call, as well as the ultimate destination of the vessel, and that the voyage is undertaken for purely commercial purposes. 2. Should it be proved in future that a merchant vessel has left or may leave an Equatorian port, and that, having regard to the time which has elapsed on the voyage to her port of destination or to the course taken by the said vessel, she has not taken the course indicated by the Consul, or, lastly, has discharged her cargo without touching at a port of call, such vessel on her next arrival at an Equatorian port, shall be considered as suspect and may be held by the Equatorian naval authorities, and will be considered as forming part of the armed forces of the nation to which she belongs, and will be treated as such. The Ministers of Foreign Relations and of War and Marine are charged with the execution of the present Decree. Given in the National Palace of Quito, on the 28th day of November, 1914. True copy: J. T. MERA, LEONIDAS PLAZA G. R. H. ELIZALDE, Minister of Foreign AUGUSTIN CABEZAS G., Minister of Under-Secretary of Foreign Affairs. (An official seal of Minister of Foreign Affairs.) DECREE of the Government of the Equator relative to the Preservation of Neutrality during the European War.Quito, November 19, 1914. (Translation.) CIRCULAR of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, determining the rules to which the maritime authorities of the ports of the Republic are subjected, in order to carry out the neutrality proclaimed by the Government during the actual European war. As soon as our Government was officially informed of the state of war existing between several European nations, the Decree of August 17th of the present year was immediately promulgated, as follows: Equator will preserve strict neutrality in the said war according to the Convention of The Hague of the 18th October, 1907, which defines the rules and duties of neutrals and the general principles of international law in the matter.* Subsequently this Chancery thought it necessary to give certain instructions to the authorities on the coast relative to the restrictions of the use of wireless telegraphy of ships of belligerent nations. Till then we thought that the measures we had taken had been sufficient to save our neutrality; but now that belligerent warships are in the vicinity of our coast and even commit hostilities in the waters of the Pacific, thus creating danger of international complications, I consider it my duty to address you, and through your channel the competent authorities, in order to draw particular attention to certain points in this important matter. Herewith attached is a copy of The Hague Conventions above referred to, as well as a copy of the Declaration of London, 1909. You will kindly transmit these documents to the maritime authorities. The Hague Convention has only been approved by our Government, but not ratified; nevertheless, it forms a foundation of law, and has served as an example to all nations, even to nations such as Colombia and Chile, which till now have not approved it. The Declaration of London is its corollary. The authorities will find in the said documents the rules to which their acts are subjected, but it will not be superfluous to mention some of them that are connected with international law, and which ought to be adopted in order to carry out the supervision of ships on Equatorian waters. These rules may be stated to be as follows: 1. Every vessel that enters Equatorian ports, or is found sailing in territorial waters, is subject to inspection of papers by the Equatorian authorities, who reserve the right (as the following rules will show) to make an inspection of the vessel, passengers, cargo, and documents. The respective authorities are therefore unable to clear any vessel, whatever may be her cargo and destination, before the ship's manifest has been produced in proper form. Territorial waters are to be understood as determined by Article 582 of our Civil Code; as much as 4 naval leagues, each league measuring 5,555 metres. 2. No merchant vessel will be cleared, should its conditions or status be altered or intended to be altered, when there are reasons to believe that the vessel is going to be converted into an armed ship or auxiliary cruiser. The following acts are considered as an alteration of status: (a.) Changing the position of guns which were on board at the arrival of the vessel; change of colour; drilling the crew for warlike purposes; (b.) Taking aboard guns, firearms, ammunition, which may give reasons to believe that the vessel was making warlike preparations; Vol. C, page 448. + Vol. CIV, page 239. (c.) Refusing to take passengers aboard when the vessel is capable of receiving them; and (d.) Taking aboard abnormal quantities of coal. 3. The maritime authorities will require from the foreign consul with whom the ship's papers are deposited a declaration in respect of the character of the vessel, ..., whether she is a merchant vessel carrying on a trade in passengers and freight, or whether she forms part of the naval forces of her nation. In the latter case the vessel will be allowed twenty-four hours to leave the port and only with coal sufficient to enable her to reach the nearest port of her nation. 4. No warship of a belligerent nation is allowed to prepare warlike operations in the territorial waters of Equator, nor to exercise vigilance over enemy vessels on the said waters. 5. No warship of a belligerent nation will weigh anchor from an Equatorian port until twenty-four hours have elapsed after the departure of an adversary's ship from the same port. 6. Every warship of a belligerent nation will be requested to clear twenty-four hours after her arrival, except in cases of stress of weather, or of provisioning, or of executing necessary repairs, in which case she must sail as soon as possible after the lapse of the twenty-four hours, and she may then take only such extra provisions as may have been required for immediate use. With regard to repairs, the following rules must be observed: The vessel will not be allowed to remain in Equatorian waters more than twenty-four hours after the said repairs have been finished. Should an adversary vessel weigh anchor during those twenty-four hours, the former must remain until the completion of the twenty-four hours above indicated. 7. No belligerent vessel in Equatorian waters will take in any provisions or articles other than those necessary for the maintenance of its crew, nor more coal than that indicated in rule No. 3. 8. All merchant vessels are prohibited from using their wireless telegraphy while remaining in Equatorian waters. To make sure that this rule is observed, it will be considered necessary to remove such portions of the apparatus without which the telegraphic system cannot be made use of. Also the contents of the telegraphic circular No. 77 of the 29th September must be observed. Should compliance with these rules present difficulties, the authorities in charge of their execution must endeavour to have them carried out in the manner stated. Should there be doubts as to the application of these principles, the respective authorities should consult with this Ministry. God and liberty! R. H. ELIZALDE. The foregoing is hereby communicated to you for your information, and that you should apply to the office of this Zone for the documents in the above referred to instructions. The Minister of Finance, A. CABEZAS. FRENCH DECREE Prohibiting the Use of Wireless Telegraphy in French Territorial Waters and Ports.—Paris, August, 1914.* LE Ministre de la Marine, Vu la loi du 9 août, 1849 (chap. 111, § 7), Arrête: ART. 1er. L'emploi de la télégraphie sans fil est interdit à bord des bâtiments de commerce dans les eaux territoriales et dans les ports de France. 2. En entrant dans les ports, ou sur l'ordre des autorités maritimes ou militaires dans les eaux territoriales, l'antenne doit être amenée, isolée de la cabine de T.S.F., ses drisses défrappées. L'antenne ne devra pas être rétablie pendant le séjour du navire dans les eaux territoriales. 3. Toute infraction à ce règlement expose les capitaines des navires contrevenants à des poursuites judiciaires et à la saisie des appareils radiotélégraphiques. 4. Ce règlement ne s'applique pas aux bâtiments de la marine nationale, ni à ceux qui sont armés temporairement pour son service. Il pourra en outre y être dérogé sur licence spéciale délivrée par l'autorité maritime, en faveur de certains bâtiments étrangers (anglais notamment) effectuant des transports spéciaux. VICTOR AUGAGNEUR. NOTIFICATION of the Greek Government relative to the Maintenance of its Neutrality in the European War.Athens, July 31, 1914. M. LE MINISTRE, Athènes, le 31 juillet, 1914. LE Gouvernement Royal hellénique, neutre dans les guerres qui viennent d'éclater, conformera sa conduite vis-à-vis des Puissances belligérantes aux principes généraux du droit des "Journal officiel," August 16, 1914. gens et, bien qu'il n'ait encore ratifié les Conventions de La Haye du 18 octobre, 1907, concernant les droits et les devoirs des Puissances neutres en cas de guerre sur terre* et en cas de guerre maritime, il s'inspirera des règles établies par elles. Il a fixé la limite de la mer territoriale pour ce qui concerne la neutralité à 6 milles marins. Il a enfin arrêté, au sujet de la télégraphie sans fil, la réglementation suivante: L'usage de la télégraphie sans fil est rigoureusement interdit aux navires de guerre et de commerce étrangers dans les ports et les eaux territoriales du Royaume. Cette interdiction sera notifiée à tout navire de guerre étranger dès son arrivée dans un port grec. Quant aux navires de commerce, aussitôt entrés dans un port grec, ils recevront la visite de l'autorité compétente qui, après avoir invité le consul du pays du pavillon à y assister ou à s'y faire représenter, procédera à la mise sous scellés de la cabine du télégraphe sans fil du navire; les scellés seront enlevés au départ et il sera notifié au capitaine l'interdiction faite au navire de se servir du télégraphe sans fil avant sa sortie des eaux territoriales. Il est de même interdit à tout navire de commerce grec, sous la responsabilité de son capitaine, de recevoir des postes étrangers de télégraphie sans fil ou de leur transmettre des radiogrammes chiffrés ou des radiogrammes en clair relatifs ou pouvant même paraître relatifs à des nouvelles de nature militaire. Veuillez agréer, &c. STREIT. GUATEMALAN DECREE relative to the Observance of Neutrality during the European War. -- Guatemala, August 12, 1914. (Translation.) [No. 718.] Manuel Estrada Cabrera, Constitutional President of the Republic of Guatemala. WHEREAS war has been declared between various European nations with which Guatemala maintains cordial relations: Therefore Ministers in Council Decree : ART. 1. The Republic declares its neutrality in the existing European conflict. 2. The authorities and the inhabitants of the Republic will regulate their conduct in conformity with the Conventions regarding the rights and duties of neutral Powers and persons in respect of war by land, and to the rights and duties of neutral * Vol. C, page 359. + Vol. C, page 448. |