Recognition of independence of Czecho-Slovaks, August 13, 1918.1

[New York Times, Current History, 8 (pt. 2), 491.]

Since the beginning of the war the Czecho-Slovak Nation has resisted the common enemy by every means in its power. The Czecho-Slovak s have constituted a considerable army, fighting on three different battle fields, and attempting in Russia and Siberia to arrest the Germanic invasion. In consideration of their efforts to achieve independence, Great Britain regards the Czecho-Slovaks as an allied nation and recognizes the unity of the three Czecho-Slovak armies as an allied and belligerent army waging regular warfare against Austria-Hungary and Germany. Great Britain also recognizes the right of the CzechoSlovak National Council as the supreme organ of Czecho-Slovak national interests and as the present trustee of the future Czecho-Slovak Government to exercise supreme authority over this allied and bellig-erent army.

HONDURAS.

Declaration of war against Germany, July 19, 1918..

[Official U. S. Bulletin, No. 367, p. 2.]

Francisco Bertrand, drafting constitutional president of the Republic of Honduras,

Considering that the motives which originated the severing of the diplomatic relations of this Republic with the German Empire have become accentuated, being characterized every day by greater gravity for the international life of all the peoples;

Considering that continental solidarity imposes upon the States of America the duty to contribute according to the measure of its abilities toward the triumph of the cause of civilization and of right which, with the allied nations, the United States of America defends, and' consequently demands a definite attitude in the present conflict of the world;

Therefore, in council of ministers, decrees:

ARTICLE 1. It is declared that there exists a state of war between the Republic of Honduras and the Government of the German Empire. ART. 2. Account shall be rendered to the National Congress at itsnext sessions.

Given in Tegucigalpa the 19th day of July, 1918.

(Signatures of the President and of all the members of the cabinet follow.)

ITALY.

Royal decree relating to the extent of jurisdictional waters, August 6, 1914. [Official Gazette, Italy, Aug. 10, 1914.]

ACT No. 282-ROYAL DECREE No. 798..

Vittorio Emanuele III,

By the grace of God and by the will of the Nation, King of Italy. In accordance with articles from 246 to 251 of the code for the mer-chant marine, concerning the neutrality of the States with regard to» belligerent powers;

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

In accordance with the provisions of the international convention signed at The Hague the 18th of October, 1907, which Italy declares to observe as far as existing laws of the Kingdom permit, even though the same agreements shall not yet have been ratified by the Kingdom of Italy;

In accordance with the declaration of neutrality proclaimed by the Government of Italy the 4th of August, 1914;

The Cabinet having been consulted;

By recommendation of our minister of marine, acting in concert with the ministers of war and of foreign affairs;

We have decreed and do decree

ARTICLE I. Concerning articles from 246 to 215 of the code of the merchant marine and the international agreements accepted by Italy relating to the rights and duties of neutral powers in case of maritime war, by territorial waters is understood the zone of water included between the coast line and a line 6 nautical miles (11,111 meters) due seaward of the said coast line.

ART. II. In bays, inlets, and gulfs the territorial waters, for the purposes stated in the preceding article, are those included within the external (seaward) straight-line tangent to the two circumferences of 6-mile radius struck with the extreme outer points of the bay, inlet, or gulf as centers, provided that the distance between the said points does not exceed 20 nautical miles (37,040 meters).

If the distance between the extreme outer points of the opening exceeds 20 nautical miles, the territorial waters are those included ·within the straight line drawn between the two most seaward points of the bay, inlet, or gulf distant from each other at least 20 nautical miles.

We order that the present decree, with the State seal affixed, shall be inserted in the official collection of the laws and decrees of the Kingdom of Italy, requiring all concerned to observe it and to enforce it. Done in Rome this 6th day of August, 1914.

VITTORIO EMANUELE,
SALANDRA,
MILLO,

GRANDI DI SAN GIULIANO.

Notice to Mariners, mine infested regions of Adriatic, November 20, 1914. [Avis aux Navigateurs, publies par, le Service Hydrographique de la Marine, 70 Rochefort, Etr. Col. 58, 14 décembre 1914.]

ADRIATIC SEA. PRESCRIPTIONS.

312, 1914 (Rochefort). The minister of the Italian marine has brought to the knowledge of navigators the following prescriptions relative to navigation in the Adriatic Sea.

1. The service of searching out and destroying mines is confided to special tugs.

J

2. Vessels ought to regulate their speed, in, a fashion to assure an effective observation and to plan their routes in a manner to pass by day the zones crossed by currents,

3. Up to the present no mines have been observed south of parallel 44° 20 N.

4. From Venice to Manfredonia hold so far as possible to the axis of the Adriatic and navigate by day.

5. Landing ought to be made perpendicularly to the coast with all precautions possible when in a zone where there is no current; recall that currents run lengthwise of the land.

(Instructions No. 832, p. 57.)

Agreement with Great Britain, France, and Russia with reference to entry into war, April 26, 1915.

[Published by Leon Trotzky, Russian people's commissary for foreign affairs, Nov. 23, 1917.1]

The Italian ambassador, Marquis Imperiali, under instructions of his Government, has the honor to deliver to the minister of foreign affairs, Sir E. Grey, the French ambassador (in London), and the Russian ambassador (in London), Count Benckendorf, the following memorandum:

ARTICLE I. Between the general staffs of France, Great Britain, Russia, and Italy must forthwith be concluded a military agreement. This agreement shall define the minimum military forces which Russia must move against Austria-Hungary in the event the latter should concentrate all her forces against Italy, and Russia against Germany. In an equitable fashion the agreement shall regulate the questions of armistice in so far as these relate to the commanding staffs of the army.

ART. II. On her side Italy obligates herself, with all the forces at her command, to enter into the campaign in combination with France, Russia, and Great Britain against all of the governments at war with them.2

ART. III. The naval forces of France and Great Britain will actively and fully cooperate with Italy until the Austrian fleet is completely destroyed or until the conclusion of peace. Between France, Italy, and Great Britain shall be signed forthwith a military naval agreement.

ART. IV. Under the imminent treaty of peace Italy must receive the district of Trentino; the entire southern Tyrol to its natural geographic boundary, the River Brenner; the city and suburbs of Trieste, Goritzia, and Gradisca, all of Istria to Quarnero, including Volosca, and the Istrian Islands of Cherso and Lussino, and also the smaller islands of Plavnik, Unia, Canidole, Palazzuolo, San Pietro dei Nembi, Azinello, Grutzo, together with the neighboring islands.

1 Other agreements relating to territorial arrangements in Greece, Turkey, Arabia, Egypt, etc., were published at the same time.

2 Italy declared war against Austria May 24, 1915; Turkey, Aug. 21, 1915; Bulgaria, Oct. 19, 1915; Germany, Aug. 28, 1916. Naval War College, International Law Docu ments, 1917, pp. 163 et seq.

RT. V. In the same manner Italy is to receive the Province of matia in its present form, with the inclusion within its limits on north of Lissariki and Trebino, and on the south of all lands to a drawn at Cape Planca to the east along the watershed in such a her that in the Italian domains shall be included all the valleys ng the rivers flowing into Sebiniko, such as Chicollo, Kerka, and isnitza, with all their tributaries. In the same way Italy is to eive all the islands located to the north and west of the shores of matia, beginning with the islands of Premua, Selva, Ulbo, Skerd, oñ, Pago, and Puntadura, and farther to the north, and to Meled the south, with inclusion therein of the islands of St. Andrew, zzi, Lissa, Lessino, Tercola, Curzola, Kaisa, and Lagosta, with all islands and bluffs belonging to them, as well as Palagozza, but hout the islands of great and little Zirona, Bua, Satti, Brazza. RT. VI. Italy shall receive in full right Vallon, the Islands of seno, and a territory sufficiently extensive to safeguard them in a itary way, approximately between the River Voyuss on the north the east, and to the boundaries of the Schimar district to the south. RT. VII. On receiving Trentino and Istria in accordance with icle IV, of Dalmatia and the Adriatic Islands in accordance with icle V, and the Bay of Vallon, Italy is obligated in the event of the nation in Albania of a small autonomous neutralized state, not to ose the possible desire of France, Great Britain, and Russia to a redisution among Montenegro, Serbia, and Greece of the northern and thern districts of Albania. The southern shore of Albania from the ndary of the Italian district of Vallona to the Cape of Stilos is subto neutralization.

aly shall have the right to conduct the foreign relations of "Alia." In any event Italy obligates herself to leave certain territory iciently extensive for Albania, in order that the boundaries of the er may be contiguous on the west from Lake Ochrida to the bounds of Greece and Serbia.

RT. VIII. Italy is to receive in full right all the islands now ocied by her at Dodekanese.

RT. IX. France, Great Britain, and Russia in principle recognize interests of Italy in preserving the political balance in the Medianean Sea and her right to receive on the division of Turkey an al share with them in the basin of the Mediterranean, and more cifically in that part of it contiguous to the province of Adalia, where y had already obtained special rights and has developed certain erests vouchsafed to her by the Italo-British agreement. The zone ject to transfer to the sovereignty of Italy will be more specifically ned in due time, and in correspondence with the vital interests of nce and Great Britain. Likewise the interests of Italy must be en into consideration, even in the event the territorial inviolability Asiatic Turkey shall be sustained by the Powers for a further period ime, and if only redistribution of spheres of influence is to take place.

Should France, Great Britain, and Russia, in the course of the present war, occupy certain districts of Asiatic Turkey, the entire district adjacent to Adalia, and herewith more specifically defined, shall remain with Italy, which reserves for itself the right to occupy the same.

ART. X. In Libya all the rights and privileges which prior to this date have been acquired by the Sultan on the basis of the treaty of Lausanne are recognized as belonging to Italy.

ART. XI. Italy shall receive such share of the military contribution as shall correspond to the measure of sacrifice and effort made by her. ART. XII. Italy joins in a declaration made by France, England, and Russia as to leaving Arabia and sacred Mohammedan places in control of an independent Mohammedan power.

ART. XIII. In the event of expansion of French and English colonial domains in Africa at the expense of Germany, France and Great Britain recognize in principle the Italian right to demand for herself certain compensations in the sense of expansions of her lands in Eritria, Somaliland, in Libya, and colonial districts lying on the boundary, with the colonies of France and England.

ART. XIV. England obligates herself to assist Italy immediately to negotiate on the London market on advantageous terms of a loan in a sum not less than £50,000,000.

ART. XV. France, England, and Russia obligate themselves to support Italy in her desire for nonadmittance of the Holy See to any kind of diplomatic steps for the purpose of the conclusion of peace or the regulation of questions arising from the present war.

ART. XVI. This treaty must be kept secret. As to Italy joining in the declaration of September 5, 1914,1 only said declaration shall be made public immediately after the declaration of the war by or against Italy.

Taking into consideration the present memorandum, the representatives of France, Great Britain, and Russia, having been duly empowered for this purpose, agreed with the representative of Italy, who in his turn was duly empowered by his Government, in the premises as follows: France, Great Britain, and Russia expressed their complete agreement with the present memorandum presented to them by the Italian Government. With regard to Articles I, II, and III of this memorandum relating to the cooperation of the military and naval operations of all four Powers, Italy declares that she will enter actively at the very earliest opportunity, and at all events not later than one month after the signing of the present document by the contracting parties. The undersigned have set their hands and seals at London in four copies, the 26th day of April, 1915.

SIR EDWARD GREY.
CAMBON.

MARQUIS IMPERIALI.
COUNT BENCKENDORF.

1 Naval War College, International Law Documents, 1917, p. 89.