delegate of the Minister of Marine to the commission on the modification of prohibitions of export. This commission will give the authority for the transfer of flag.

L. LACAZE, Minister of Marine.

Recognition of independence of Czecho-Slovaks, June 30, 1918.1

[New York Times, Current History, 8 (pt. 2), 489.]

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M. Pichon, French Minister of Foreign Affairs to Czecho-Slovak National Council. At the moment when the first unity of the autonomous Czecho-slovak Army of France is preparing to quit its quarters and, having received its flag, to proceed to man a sector amidst its French brothers in arms, the Government of the Republic deems it equitable and necessary to proclaim the rights of your Nation to independence. * For long centuries the Czecho-Slovak Nation possessed the incomparable blessing of independence. It was deprived of it by the violence of the Hapsburgs allied with Germanic princes. The historic rights of nations are imprescriptible. It is for the defense of these rights that France, attacked, is fighting to-day, together with her allies. The cause of the Czechs is specially dear to it.

*

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*

In the name of the Government of the Republic, I express the sincerest and warmest wishes that the Czecho-Slovak State may soon become by the common efforts of all the allies, in close union with Poland and the Jugo-Slav State, an impassable barrier to Germanic aggression and a factor of peace in a Europe reconstructed according to the principles of justice and the right of nationalities.

GERMANY.

SOJOURN OF VESSELS.

Regulations regarding the admission and treatment of war vessels and prizes of belligerents in the harbors and waters of the German coast and the German colonies, May 14, 1913.

1. With reference to the admission of warships, there shall apply articles 1 to 3 of the "Regulations regarding the admission and treatment of foreign warships in the harbors and waters of the German coast" of May 24, 1910.

ARTICLE 1.

War vessels (warships and war craft) of foreign powers require no special permission for calling at fortified and unfortified German harbors and river mouths and for the navigation of inland waters. Nevertheless a notice of the impending visit must be transmitted in good time through diplomatic channels.

Without this, foreign war vessels, with the exception of the cases given in article 2, may neither cross the outermost line of defense (fortification) nor stop in roads, harbors, river mouths, or inland waters. (With reference to the use of the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal, see article 3.)

1 Recognition by United States, Sept. 3, 1918, infra p. 209. 116506-19

-4

The number of war vessels belonging to the same foreign nation that are permitted to stop at the same time in a fortified or unfortified harbor, etc., is, as a rule, limited to three. Exceptions require permission requested through diplomatic channels.

ARTICLE 2.

The foregoing regulations do not apply.

(a) To vessels that have on board sovereigns, members of families of sovereigns, presidents of republics or their suites, or ambassadors or envoys to the courts of His Majesty the Kaiser;

(b) To vessels which have been obliged by danger of sea or by accident to stop in a German harbor, etc.

ARTICLE 3.

For passage through the Kaiser Wilhelm Canal foreign war vessels require previous: permission transmitted through diplomatic channels. In case a previous notice through diplomatic channels is not possible, it is to be communicated without delay through the local authorities.

2. Commissioned pilots may be granted ("zugestanden") only for a direct trip from the sea into a harbor, or for a direct trip from the harbor to the open sea.

3. In the waters under German sovereignty war vessels of belligerents are obliged to refrain from all hostilities including capture, interception, and the practice of the right of search. Neither may they hold any prize court therein.

4. Within the ports and roads they may repair injuries only to such an extent as is necessary for their safety of navigation, but they may neither repair, strengthen, or increase their military stores or armament, nor enlarge their complements, nor in any other way heighten their military power.

5. At each visit they may replenish their supplies of coal to the full capacity of their bunkers. They may also increase their stores of food and drink and of anything else necessary for their peaceable operation of the ship.

6. They must leave waters under German sovereignty 14 days at the latest after their arrival therein or, in case they have to remain longer in order to carry out such work as is specified in article 4, immediately after the completion of the said work.

In case the weather should make it impossible for them to leave then, or in case the conditions set forth in article 9 should come into effect, permission to remain will be extended for the necessary length of time.

7. In the harbors which are situated in the immediate neighborhood of the seat of war,1 article 6 applies with the sole change that the words "24 hours" shall be substituted for "14 days."

8. The provisions of articles 6 and 7 do not apply to war vessels which are engaged exclusively in religious, scientific, or philanthropic work.

9. If there should be present simultaneously in the harbor or roadstead war vessels of both belligerents, at least 24 hours must elapse

1 When the case arises the Imperial Chancellor will enumerate the ports here indicated.

between the departure of ships of one belligerent and that of ships of the other. In case both parties have at the outset chosen the same day for departure, the order of their departure shall be determined by that of their arrival.

Warships of a belligerent may not leave a harbor or a roadstead less than 24 hours after the departure of a merchant vessel flying the flag of the enemy of the said belligerent.

10. Prizes may put in only:

(a) On account of unseaworthiness, or bad weather, or on account of deficiency in fuel or supplies, in which cases they must leave again as soon as the cause that justified their putting in has been removed.

(b) When they are to be allowed to remain in the harbor until the prize court has made its decision, in which case they must be given over to the neutral German authorities for safekeeping. Issued at the New Palace, May 14, 1913.

The following communication has been sent to the allied, neutral, and enemy States:

Supplement to the German blockade declaration of January 31, 1917.

I. In complementing the declaration of blockade of January 31, 1917, the barred waters will be extended from the 22d of November as follows: 1. Barred waters around England. The border of the barred waters around England and France runs from the end of points of the BelgianDutch boundary line over point 51° 35′ north, 2° 57′ east to 52° 2' north, 3° 52′ east to 52° 28′ north, 4° 22′ east to 52° 40′ north, 4° 25′ east to 52° 40′ north, 3° 40′ east to 54° 45′ north, 3° 40′ east to 55° 10′ north, 4° east to 56° north, 4° 50' east, further along on the longitude degree 4° 50′ east along to the point in 10 miles distance from the Utfire Lighthouse, then on a circle at 10 sea miles distance west around the said lighthouse to the intersecting point of the connecting line, Utfire Lighthouse, to the point 62° north 0° 0' eastern longitude and 62° north 5° west to a point 3 sea miles south of the south point of the Faroe Islands. From there over 62° north, 10° west to 61° north, 15° west to 55° north, 30° west to 47° north, 30° west to 43° north, 15° west, then on the degree of latitude 43° north along to a point 20 sea miles along the Spanish north coast to the French-Spanish border. 2. New barred waters.-On the enemy bases at the Azores, the boundary runs over the following points: From 39° north, 17° west to 44° north, 27° 45′ west to 44° north, 34° west to 42° 30′ north, 37°

1 For other war zone declarations, see International Law Documents, 1917, p. 107.

west to 57° north, 37° west to 30° north, 26° west to 34° north, 20° west to the point of beginning.1

3. Barred waters in the Mediterranean.-The channel left open in the former declaration is now included in the barred waters.

II. Security against the employment of the military procedure in the following waters included in the barred waters heretofore can only be guaranteed from the 1st of January, 1918:

First area, between

Point 52° 40′ north, 4° 0' east.

Point 52° 40′ north, 3° 45′ east.

Point 54° 45′ north, 3° 40′ east.

Point 55° 10' north, 4° 0' east.

Second area, between

The terminal point of the Belgian-Dutch boundary line. Point 51° 35′ north, 3° 52′ east, and the intersecting point of the connecting line between the last-mentioned point; and Point 52° 2′ north, 3° 52′ east, with the blockade boundaries fixed heretofore off the Dutch coast.

III. Neutral ships and ships of the Belgian Relief Commission which are at the time of the publication of this declaration in ports belonging to the new blockaded waters are permitted to leave unmolested their ports, taking the shortest route, providing they start before the 29th of November.

Care has been taken that no military action will be taken against neutral ships and ships of the Belgian Relief Commission which have run into the forbidden zones without having a knowledge of the publication of this declaration.

It is urgently requested to warn neutral shipping with all available means and to direct them off the forbidden zones.

Regulations, enemy character of vessels, July 16, 1917.2

In further retaliation of the orders of England and her allies in regard to international law at sea, I approve for the present war of the following change in the prize rules:

A neutral ship is to be considered and treated as an enemy ship if the property of the same (Eigenthum) is wholly or for the greatest part owned by citizens of enemy states, or if it has been chartered by an enemy government, or if it has been placed on the seas in the interest of the enemies conduct of war.

As citizens of enemy states in the sense of this ordinance are also to be considered judicial persons or societies of other countries which

1 For other war zone declarations, see International Law Documents, 1917, p. 115. 2 Amendment to Arts. 11 and 55c, of German Prize Code, Sept. 30, 1909, published in Reichsgesetzblatt, Aug. 3, 1914, No. 50. (English translation, Hertslet, Commercial Treaties, 1915.) This code was amended, Oct. 18, Nov. 23, and Dec. 14, 1914, and Apr. 18, 1915. (See United States, Diplomatic Correspondence with Belligerent Governments, May 27, 1915, p. 30.)

have their seat in enemy countries. It will be considered as equal to location in an enemy country if the capital belongs overwhelmingly to citizens of enemy countries, or if the management is carried on by enemy citizens or is directed from or controlled by an enemy country. The same holds good if the fact has been established that capital or other means to carry on the business is contributed from citizens of enemy countries or from enemy countries themselves.

WILHELM..

Notice of defensive sea area around German Bay, March 17, 1918..

BERLIN, March 17, 1918.

The German Admiralty has published the following warning: In consequence of the conduct of British naval forces in the waters around the German Bay declared to be barred by England, the German Government sees herself compelled to take measures which makes neutral shipping in these waters very dangerous. Neutral shipping is therefore urgently warned to stay away from these waters with the statement that the German Government will not guarantee for the consequences, except it is done in conformity with special directions which have to be obtained from the German Government in each individual case. The boundaries of the waters in question are: From the point of intersection of latitude 57° 8′ north, with the Danish territorial boundary, over point 57° 8′ north, 6° east, 56° north, 4° 17′ east, 58° 29′ north, 4° 4′ east, 53° east, 4° 10' east, to the intersection. point of latitude 53° with the Dutch sovereignty lines..

Regulations, enemy character of vessels, April 21, 1918.1

In case conditions do not point to the contrary a neutral ship must be considered as sailing in enemy war interests, when the country, the flag of which the vessel has a right to fly, has made an agreement with an enemy country relating to the cession of tonnage, or when the greater portion of the navigating commercial fleet of the country in question is in the service of the enemy.

RECOGNITION OF INTERNATIONAL STATUS.

Recognition of independence of Russian Poland, November 4,

TO THE INHABITANTS OF THE GOVERNMENT OF WARSAW:

1916.2

His Majesty, the German Emperor, and his Majesty, the Austrian Emperor and Apostolic King of Hungary, sustained by their firm confidence in the final victory of their arms, and guided by the wish to lead to a happy future the Polish districts which, by their brave armies

Amendment of regulations, July 16, 1917, supra,. p. 52.

A similar proclamation was published by the Austro-Hungarian governor general at Lublin. By proclamation, Sept. 12, 1917, Germany and Austria transferred authorityin Poland to a regency. (New York Times, Current History, 7 (pt. 1):29.)