Senator Elihu Root, at the Fifth | Annual Meeting of the American Society of International Law, held in Washington (April 27-29, 1911), said "that the year has not been without great interest in international affairs." He mentioned as of particular importance during the twelve months preceding his address, the fourth Pan-American Conference at Buenos Aires; the International Conference at the Hague for the Unification of the Laws relating to Bills of Exchange; the third international Maritime Conference at Brussels; the second Central American Conference and its endeavors to accomplish results practical instead of theoretical; the Savarkar case between Great Britain and France before the Hague tribunal; the Orinoco Steamship Company case at the Hague (settled since the address); the Canadian Fisheries case; the "Chamizal Case" between Mexico and the United States; the new treaty between the United States and Japan, and the reciprocity treaty between Canada and the United States. Much hope was expressed that the recently created Prize Court Convention at the Hague was to become a permanent and satisfactory element in settling many international problems.

Since that meeting the remaining months of 1911 have passed, and the assertion of Mr. Root have been more than confirmed. In fact the year has been unusually productive of affairs hinging upon international relations, most of them carrying promise that arbitration is becoming more and more engrafted upon the activities of international politics, and that the principles of international peace are recognized as of essentially practical value in human society; many of them, however, showing that a resort to arms is still the instinctive and inherent desire among the people and politicians of one nation to assert their rights and to secure advantage over those of another.

In order to offer a systematic résumé of the events of an international character marking the year 1911, it has been thought best to distribute the subject under certain subheads. This may demand an unavoidable repetition of statement in a few instances, but clearness will thereby be obtained. These divisions are: "Chronological Narrative of Events"; "Treaty and Other International Agreements"; "Celebrations and Expositions"; with detailed discussion of those which seem of greatest importance.

Toward the end of 1910, but not mentioned in the last YEAR BOOK, these must be noticed: (Dec. 4) the opening of a foreign Chinese loan for the development of the navy of $25,000,000; (Dec. 4) reëstablishment of diplomatic relations between Argentina and Bolivia; (Dec. 14) endowment by Mr. Andrew Carnegie

of a peace fund of $10,000,000; (Dec. 15) meeting in Washington_of the American Society for the Judicial Settlement of International Disputes; (Dec. 22) arrest as spies of two British army officers in Germany; (Dec. 23) Emperor of Japan emphasizes the necessity of peace; (Dec. 31) the new government in

15.-United States protests to Guatemala against alleged support of revolution in Honduras.

17. Haiti and Dominican Republic sign a peace convention, withdrawing troops from frontier.

18. Colombian troops cross into Peruvian territory.

20.-Ecuador declines to submit to Hague boundary dispute with Peru. Commissioners of United States and Canada reach reciprocity agreement at Washington.

25.-American cavalry sent to Mexican frontier.*

26. Reciprocity agreement between United States and Canada submitted to legislative bodies of both countries.*

30.-Students of Cracow University (Austria) protest against appointment of a German professor, and the institution therefore closed.

February

2. The Honduras Congress refuses to approve negotiations for American loan.*

3.-President Taft tenders services of United States to assist in restoring peace in Honduras. The United States Government announces its readiness to assist in combating plague in China.

7. The House passes the Lowden Bill, providing for $500,000 a year for the purchase of embassy buildings abroad.

8.-President Dávila, of Honduras, and General Bonilla, the revolutionary leader, agree to an armistice at the suggestion of the United States.

9. Great Britain and Austria-Hungary agree to submit to Hague Tribunal any dispute over an existing treaty which cannot be settled by diplomacy.

10.-W. Morgan Shuster is said in Washington to be appointed treasurergeneral of Persia to reorganize its finances.*

29. The International Exhibition of Industries and Labor is opened at Turin, Italy.*

May

5. Ratifications of the Anglo-Japanese commercial treaty are exchanged at Tokyo.*

Russia inquires of Japan her reason for establishing a consulate in Manchuria (Aigun) near the frontier.

-International Opium Congress postponed until July, 1912.

8.-Germany warns France of the serious consequences that might follow a French occupation of Fez.*

-An agreement between China and Great Britain, providing for the gradual extinction of the Chinese production and importation of opium, is signed at Pekin.

14. The general assembly of the International Institute of Agriculture meets at Rome; King Victor Emanuel congratulates the Americans on their representative delegation.

17. The draft of a general treaty of arbitration is submitted by Secretary Knox to the British and French ambassadors.*

-The German-American potash conference at Hamburg reaches an agreement regarding prices and taxes."

20. A $30,000,000 loan for the construction of railways in China is signed at Pekin by representatives of American, British, French and German bank

19. The United States Government officially recognizes the new Portuguese Republic.

21. The German Emperor visits the American battleships at Kiel.

-First constitutional President of

the Republic of Portugal is elected.

28. It is announced in Washington that the Anglo-American arbitration treaty has been agreed upon in every important provision.*

29.-Russia admits Jewish buyers to the fur trade at Tyumen.

July

1.-German troops are landed at Again dir, Morocco, causing uneasiness France.

4.-Germany sends the cruiser Berlin to Agadir to replace the gunboat there. 5. The United States, Great Britain, France, Germany and Italy submit a note to Haiti, insisting that claims of their citizens be settled within three

months.

-King George, of England, submits decision on Alsop case.*

-Turkey begins military preparations in view of Montenegro's activity.

7. A treaty abolishing pelagic sealing is signed at Washington by the United States, Great Britain, Russia and Japan.

9. The French ambassador at Berlin and the German Foreign Minister issue a semi-official note about Morocco. 10.-Russia informs Germany that she agrees with France on the Morocco affair.

12. France asks Spain to explain the arrest of two Frenchmen in Mo

rocco.

14. Great Britain and Japan sign a new treaty of alliance to last ten years. 19. The United States Government denies the contemplation of intervention in Cuba.

-The Spanish ambassador at Paris regrets the arrest of the French consulgeneral in Morocco.

-The United States Senate ratifies the treaty with Great Britain which provides for the arbitration of certain pecuniary claims.

21. The Persian Government criticizes Great Britain and Russia for indifference concerning the present activity of the deposed Shah.*

24. The United States ratifies the fur seal treaty, by which the United States, Great Britain, Japan and Russia prohibit sealing for 15 years.

of 26. Queen Wilhelmina Holland visits King Albert at Brussels; it is rumored that an agreement is contemplated to act jointly in the event of their countries' neutrality being threatened.

28. The terms of the Franco-Spanish modus vivendi to prevent trouble at Alcazar, Morocco, are outlined by the Spanish premier.

-The Portuguese Republic again protests to Spain against permitting anti-republican plotters to meet in Spanish territory.

-The Canadian premier announces a plan of coöperation between the navies of Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

29.-The Persian government sets a reward of $100,000 upon the head of the

ex-Shah.

31. The Russian minister to Persia moves to force the resignation of the American Treasurer-General, W. M. Shuster.

August

1. The German minister to Persia Joins in the movement against the American treasurer-general.

2. Two newspaper correspondents, one an American, are expelled from Agadir.

3. The International Peace Conference, at Berne, Switzerland, takes steps to form a permanent bureau of peace.

4. It is reported from Berlin that an agreement has been reached, involving the trading of colonial possessions, in the dispute between France and Germany over Morocco; the Kaiser is bitterly assailed by several German newspapers for his timidity.

31. It is stated that France has offered Germany certain portions of the French Congo in exchange for absolute recognition of her rights in Morocco.

September

2. A statue of Baron von Steuben, presented to Germany by the United States, is unveiled at Potsdam and accepted by the Emperor.

4.-Negotiations between France and Germany are resumed at Berlin.

6. The Canadian Government seizes an American fishing schooner at Louisberg, C. B., alleging a violation of the treaty of 1818. (And fined, Sept. 11.) 7. Unrest in China over the Government's railroad policy causes a serious uprising, directed mainly against foreigners.

11. The cruiser Hai Chi, the first Chinese warship to enter the port of New York, drops anchor in the Hudson River.

12. The Viceroy of Sze-Chuen province, China, is commanded by imperial edict to suppress the uprising.

-It is announced at Washington that Japan will abandon its naval station at Port Arthur, Manchuria, and open the port for use of the merchant marine.

18. Advices from the besieged city of Cheng-yu, China, where the foreigners have assembled, state that they are unmolested.

October

10. The successful conclusion of the

8. Several diplomatic changes are announced in the American corps; including the transfer of Minister Leishman from Italy to Germany, the appointment of Lars Anderson and Lloyd Bryce to Belgium and The Netherlands. 9.-The Tenth Zionist Congress opens at Basle, Switzerland.

21. A Socialist mass-meeting in Berlin protests against Germany's policy in the Moroccan controversy.

26.-An American shipbuilding company secures contract for Chinese warships.

27. The Pope receives the Cardinal Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro and bestows the apostolic blessing on the churches of South America.

28.-The Emperors of Russia and Japan exchange telegrams of felicitation upon the final settlement of all claims growing out of the recent war.

-It is announced at Colon that the United States has acquired four small islands at the western end of the Panama Canal.

over Morocco is announced.

22. Spain disarms 400 Portuguese royalists on her borders.

25.-Alfred Sze, a graduate of Corfrom China to the U. S. nell University, is appointed Minister 29. Persian revolters (Turcomans), aided by Russia, defeat a Persian Government force near Bender-Gez. November

7.-Colombia occupies Pedrera, territory in dispute with Peru.

11.-King George and Queen Mary sail from England for the Durbar in India.

12. Strong rumors are spread that Belgium would quit the Congo and that a repartition of Africa among other powers was contemplated.

14. Spain and Germany confer about the cession to the latter of Spanish Guinea.

16. Mr. Shuster, Persia's American financial agent, refuses to yield to Russia and Russian troops are ordered to Persia.

17.-Russia presents

missal.

December

1. Russia orders an advance on Teheran, following Persia's refusal to dismiss Mr. Shuster.

4. The Persian National Council appeal to the United States for aid against Russia.

5.-A decisive victory over the Turks outside Tripoli is conceded to ensure possession of the country to the Italians.

7. The naval prize bill, approving the Declaration of London, is passed by the British House of Commons.

13. The House of Lords rejects the naval prize bill on its second reading.

14.-The House of Representatives passes the Sulzer resolution demanding abrogation of the Russian treaty.*

19.-The Senate ratifies President Taft's abrogation of the Russian treaty. 20. The House of Representatives ratifies President Taft's abrogation of the Russian treaty.

-The French Chamber of Deputies ratifies the Franco-German accord on Morocco.

20.-The representatives of Great Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Russia and the United States express their good will and hope for a speedy settlement of the Chinese revolution to the peace conferees at Shanghai.

22.-Persia accepts the terms of Russia's ultimatum and prepares to dismiss Mr. Shuster.

During the latter part of 1910 several important international agreements were signed, but the chronological order would better commence on the first of 1911. It is worth while, however, to mention certain treaties or conventions which were accepted just before the close of 1910, in order to make the record of these YEAR BOOKS complete. Such are the ratifications exchanged (Dec. 1) at London, of a convention signed at London, July 16, 1910, providing for the settlement by arbitration of certain classes of cases that may arise between Austria-Hungary and Great Britain; the proclamation issued by the President of the United States granting German subjects copyright benefits under the act of March 4, 1909; the award of the Noble Prizes on Dec. 10, to the International Peace Bureau at Berne, to van der Waals of Holland (Physics), Wallach of Germany (Chemistry), Kossel of Germany (Medicine), Paul Heyse of Germany (Literature); and the Agreement on Dec. 30 between Great Britain and Norway providing for the telegraph service between the two countries.

January.

1.--Agreement exempting commercial travelers' samples from customs inspection effective between Great Britain and the United States.

-United States-Nicaragua, diplomatic relations renewed.

9. First South American Postal Congress inaugurated at Montevideo.

States,

9-12.-Great Britain-United conference held at Washington on the application of the award delivered in 1910 in the North Atlantic Coast Fisheries Arbitration, to existing regulations of Canada and Newfoundland.

10.-Argentine-Bolivia, diplomatic relations resumed.

12.-Brazil-Uruguay, arbitration treaty signed at Petropolis.

--Morocco-Spain, agreement entered arising in regions about places controlled into for the settlement of difficulties by Spain.

13.-France-Liberia, treaty signed at Paris fixing boundaries between Liberia and the French possessions.

13-14.-Great Britain-United States, at Washington concerning conference existing laws and fisheries regulations

of Canada.