sion, as a fait accompli; but it is hoped that the Treaty of Lausanne has removed all outstanding differences between the two countries.

Before, however, the Italian war was ended and the treaty signed, war had unfortunately broken out in the Balkans in the month of October, 1912, between Bulgaria, Servia, Montenegro, and Greece, on the one hand, and their one-time master and oppressor, Turkey, on the other. Without examining at this time the causes of the war and without considering whether it might have been averted, it is clear that whatever may have been the pretext alleged by the Balkan allies, namely, the failure to carry out administrative reforms in Turkey, its real cause was undoubtedly the desire to put an end to centuries of oppression, which the Balkan peoples had suffered at the hands of the Turks. The sudden and unexpected victories of the allies led to the belief, unjustified by the event, that the war would end almost as quickly as it had begun. A conference between representatives of the belligerents met in London at the instance of the great Powers, in December, 1912, but failed to agree upon terms of peace, owing chiefly to the demand of the allies for the cession of Adrianople. This the Turks were either unwilling or unable to grant. The conference adjourned and the war was renewed. At present all parties have accepted the mediation of the great Powers, and it is hoped and believed that a treaty of peace acceptable to all will shortly be arranged.

If these two wars are, as they must be, distressing to friends of peace, there is fortunately not wanting evidence that the peaceful settlement of international disputes is slowly but surely displacing the resort to arms between nations, for in the year 1912 two cases were decided by temporary tribunals formed from the list of judges composing the so-called Permanent Court of Arbitration of The Hague, and a third case is being argued as we meet here in Washington.

The first case-decided May 3, 1912--to which reference is made, was between Italy and Peru, and turned upon the question whether the brothers Canevaro were entitled to the amount of money they claimed, and whether one of the brothers was to be considered an Italian subject or a Peruvian citizen. Unimportant as to the principles of law involved, it is important as a step in the growth of the habit of submitting disputes to The Hague.

The second case, between Russia and Turkey, was decided November 11, 1912, and is important for three reasons: (1) the parties

to it; (2) the principles of law involved; (3) the opinion. The question was whether Turkey was responsible for interest on delayed payments on the indemnities due Russian subjects for damages suffered by them in the war of 1877-78. The tribunal held that Turkey was not so liable, but in reaching the decision, which was unanimous, the court applied principles of law, cited decisions of courts of arbitration as precedents, and drew up its opinion in the form to which we are accustomed instead of adopting the labored and artificial system of French procedure heretofore used. The opinion in this case is a model, at once scientific and judicial. There is not a trace of compromise to be found in it.

The third case is between France and Italy, and arises out of the capture of three French vessels, the Carthage, the Manouba, and the Tavignano, by Italian authorities during the recent war between Italy and Turkey. The special agreement submitting these cases to arbitration was concluded in March and November, 1912, and the opening session was held on March 31, of the present year. It is expected that the argument will be completed in the month of April.

In addition to these three cases, there are two arbitrations of a special nature, which are scheduled to take place in the near future:

(1) Holland and Portugal have very recently-on February 1, 1913-agreed to submit their claims in the Island of Timor to the President of the French Republic.

(2) A special agreement for the submission to arbitration of pecuniary claims outstanding between the United States and Great Britain was signed in 1910, approved by the Senate in 1911, confirmed by an exchange of notes on April 26, 1912. This commission consists of three members: on behalf of the United States, the Honorable Chandler P. Anderson; on behalf of Great Britain, the Right Honorable Sir Charles Fitzpatrick; umpire, Monsieur Henri Fromageot of France. It will meet in Washington in the month of May, 1913. It is a matter of congratulation to the members of the Society that the three commissioners are members of it. Mr. Anderson and Mr. Robert Lansing, agent of the United States, were among the founders of the Society and are editors of the JOURNAL.

In this connection it is important to note that the limitation of armaments, upon which friends of peace have set their hearts, is likely to be seriously considered in the near future. The question of disarmament was, it will be recalled, the reason advanced by the

Czar of Russia for the calling of the First Hague Conference. was considered by this body without reaching agreement. It was briefly discussed by the Second Hague Conference with the same result, since which time governments have discussed it somewhat, and it has occupied the attention of parliaments. Attention is called to the very important speech in the House of Commons on March 26, 1913, in which the First Lord of the Admiralty, Mr. Winston Churchill, offered on behalf of Great Britain to suspend increase of armaments for one year, if other nations can be persuaded to agree to such suspension.

While changes in the form of government are internal, not international, questions, it is common knowledge that changes of form may, and ordinarily do, affect foreign relations, and it is peculiarly gratifying to us Americans to note the very important and radical change in the form of government which has taken place in China, which will undoubtedly result in the reorganization not merely of China, but the adoption of forms of government more in harmony with the spirit of the age. On February 12, 1912, the Manchu dynasty was overthrown and in the month of March, Yuan Shih Kai was inaugurated as President. A representative parliament was opened on April 8, 1913, and an American citizen, Professor Frank J. Goodnow, has been appointed legal adviser to the committee to draft the republican constitution. In this connection it is interesting to note that the American Government withdrew on March 19th of this year from participation in the Six-Power Loan, which had been under negotiation for several years past.

Passing now to conventions between governments, a number of arbitration treaties have been renewed, including that between France and the United States. Others have been ratified, and a few new agreements concluded. None, however, are important.

A very important agreement was concluded between Great Britain and the United States modifying the recommendations of the tribunal of arbitration which decided the fisheries dispute in 1910. The award decided certain long-standing disputes; the treaty referred to is calculated to prevent controversies regarding the exercise of the fishing liberty. It provides that all future British or Colonial laws regulating the time and manner of fishing shall be submitted to the United States before they go into effect, so that the United States shall have an opportunity of examining them and of objecting to their provi

sions. If the two governments are unable to agree upon modifications which shall seem desirable to the United States, their reasonableness shall be tested by a mixed commission. Should the mixed commission declare the provision objected to to be unreasonable and inconsistent with the Treaty of 1818, "it shall not be applicable to the inhabitants of the United States exercising their fishing liberties under the Treaty of 1818."

Article II of this very important agreement specifies those portions of the bays upon the Canadian coast within which Americans are not to fish and from which the line of three miles shall be drawn.

The controversy between Germany, on the one hand, and France and Great Britain, on the other, concerning the establishment of a French protectorate in Morocco, which controversy seemed at one time likely to result in war, has fortunately been settled without resort to arms. The agreement between France and Germany was signed on November 4, 1911, but the rights of Spain in Morocco require careful treatment. After prolonged discussion, France and Spain signed a treaty defining the rights of each in Morocco, on November 27, 1912, and the treaty has been recently ratified by each of the contracting countries. The treaty between France and Morocco, establishing the French protectorate, was signed on March 30, 1912, and the understanding subsequently come to with Spain enables France, within the terms of the various treaties, to make its protectorate effective.

Unfortunately, so far as the United States is concerned, a grave dispute has arisen between Great Britain and the United States, concerning the interpretation of the Hay-Pauncefote Treaty of 1901— a subject to be discussed in detail by the Society. The Act of Congress exempted American vessels engaged in the coastwise trade from. the payment of tolls. Great Britain objected to the exemption and has requested arbitration.

Another controversy, which is likely to tax the patience of responsible statesmen and strain the good relations between Japan and the United States unless wisely and sympathetically treated, has unfortunately occurred and is the subject of negotiations as we meet here in Washington. The right of aliens, particularly Japanese, to hold land in California, which is not merely a question of law but of policy, is before the legislature of that State. Without venturing to express an opinion while negotiations are, it is understood, in

progress between the Governments of Japan and the United States, it is nevertheless proper to hope that an arrangement will be reached acceptable to both countries.

If, however, treaties of arbitration have been few and unimportant, many international conferences of very considerable proportions have been held during the past year. Among these may be mentioned the Industrial Property Conference in London; the Fourth Central American Conference at Managua, held on January 3, 1912, which resulted in the following agreements: (1) Convention relative to annual reports to future Central American Conferences; (2) Convention for regulating the United Central American Consular Service; (3) Convention for the perfection and security of the telegraph service between the different Republics of Central America; (4) Convention to establish in Central America the service of telegraph and postal drafts; (5) Convention for the improvement of the maritime communications in Central America; (6) Convention for the establishment of international routes of communication; (7) Convention for the establishment of commissions of Central American relations.

The International Literary and Artistic Property Association held its 34th General Assembly at Paris in December, 1912; the 17th Congress of the Interparliamentary Union met at Geneva in September, 1912; the International Prison Congress in Paris in September; the 15th International Congress of Hygiene and Demography in Washington in September; the Institute of International Law held its annual meeting in August at Christiania; the Third International Congress of American Students at Lima in July, 1912; the International Commission of American Jurists met at Rio de Janeiro to prepare draft codes of public and private international law, in June and July, 1912; the first International Technical Congress for the Prevention of Accidents and Injuries to Laborers and for Industrial Hygiene was held at Milan in May, 1912; the International RadioTelegraph Conference, which resulted in a convention, met at London in June, 1912; the International Congress of Editors met at Berne in June, 1912; the Second International Congress for the Unification of the Law of the Check at The Hague in June, 1912; an international conference for regulating expositions met at Berlin in October, and resulted in an international convention; a conference for the suppression of the opium traffic met at The Hague, Decem