who were not represented at the International Peace Conference can adhere to the present convention shall form the subject of a subsequent agreement among the contracting powers." As the agreement thus referred to has not been effected, it seems necessary to find a practical means of adjusting this formality, and the Imperial Government suggests that, on the opening of the second conference, the representatives of the States parties to the first conference sign the following protocol:

The Representatives at the Second Peace Conference of the States signatories of the Convention of 1899 relative to the peaceful settlement of international disputes, duly authorized to that effect, have agreed that in case the States that were not represented at the First Peace Conference, but have been convoked to the present Conference, should notify the Government of the Netherlands of their adhesion to the above-mentioned Convention they shall be forthwith considered as having acceded thereto.

If the Government of the United States, as well as the Governments of other States parties to the First Peace Conference to which the foregoing has likewise been made known, should express its assent to this course being adopted, the Imperial Government would lose no time in advising the States newly convoked to the second conference.

As there is no clause similar to that of article 60 in the convention relative to the peaceful settlement of international disputes applicable to the other two conventions of 1899, the Imperial Government has addressed to the newly convoked States a request that they immediately forward to the Government of the Netherlands their adhesion to the last two conventions mentioned.

Awaiting a favorable answer of the Government of the United States in regard to the suggestion herein above formulated as to the mode of accession of the new States to the convention concerning the peaceful settlement of international disputes, I embrace the opportunity to renew to you the assurance of my high consideration.

ROSEN

[Inclosure Translation]

LIST OF STATES INVITED TO PARTICIPATE IN THE LABORS OF THE SECOND CONFERENCE OF THE HAGUE

State that has declined the invitation: Panama.

States that have not yet returned an answer: Korea, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Uruguay, and Venezuela.1

THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE

[Translation]

IMPERIAL EMBASSY OF RUSSIA,

WASHINGTON, D. C., March 22/April 4, 1907.

The undersigned, ambassador of Russia, by order of his Government, has the honor to make the following communication to His Excellency the Secretary of State of the United States:

Before the Second Peace Conference is called, the Imperial Government deems it an obligation to submit to the Powers which have accepted its invitation a statement of the present situation.

1 Panama eventually accepted the invitation and was represented at the conference. Korea, by reason of its absorption by Japan, forfeited its right of independent representation. Ecuador, Nicaragua, Uruguay, and Venezuela accepted the invitation and were represented at the conference. Costa Rica failed to send representatives, and those of Honduras were admitted so near the close of the conference that they took no part in its work and their names do not appear in the list of delegates of the Final Act. Ethiopia was not represented. - EDITOR,

All the Powers to which the Imperial Government communicated in April, 1906, its tentative programme of the labors of the new conference have declared their adhesion thereto.

However, the following remarks have been made with respect to that programme:

The Government of the United States has reserved to itself the liberty of submitting to the Second Conference two additional questions, viz., the reduction or limitation of armaments and the attainment of an agreement to observe some limitations upon the use of force for the collection of ordinary public debts arising out of con

tracts.

The Spanish Government has expressed a desire to discuss the limitation of armaments, reserving to itself the right to deal with this question at the next meeting at The Hague.

The British Government has given notice that it attaches great importance to having the question of expenditures for armament discussed at the conference, and has reserved to itself the right of raising it. It has also reserved to itself the right of taking no part in the discussion of any question mentioned in the Russian programme which would appear to it unlikely to produce any useful result.

Japan is of opinion that certain questions that are not especially enumerated in the programme might be conveniently included among the subjects for consideration, and reserves to itself the right to take no part in or withdraw from any discussion taking or tending to take a trend which, in its judgment, would not be conducive to any useful result.

The Governments of Bolivia, Denmark, Greece, and the Netherlands have also reserved to themselves, in a general way, the right to submit to the consideration of the conference other subjects similar to those that are explicitly mentioned in the Russian programme.

The Imperial Government deems it its duty to declare, for its part, that it maintains its programme of the month of April, 1906, as the basis for the deliberations of the conference, and that if the conference should broach a discussion that would appear to it unlikely to end in any practical issue it reserves to itself, in its turn, the right to take no part in such a discussion.

Remarks similar to this last have been made by the German and Austro-Hungarian Governments, which have likewise reserved to themselves the right to take no part in the discussion by the con

1

ference of any question which would appear unlikely to end in any practical issue.

In bringing these reservations to the knowledge of the Powers and with the hope that the labors of the Second Peace Conference will create new guaranties for the good understanding of the nations of the civilized world, the Imperial Government has addressed to the Government of the Netherlands a request that it may be pleased to call the conference for the first days of June.

The undersigned embraces this opportunity to renew to His Excellency Mr. Root the assurances of his highest consideration.

ROSEN

THE NETHERLANDS MINISTER TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE

[Translation]

ROYAL LEGATION OF THE NETHERLANDS,
WASHINGTON, D. C., May 7, 1907.

MR. SECRETARY OF STATE: By order of my Government, I have the honor to advise your excellency that the Cabinet of St. Petersburg has notified the Government of the Queen that all the Governments which took part in the First Peace Conference have accepted the proposition, addressed to them by the Imperial Government, that they sign, before the opening of the forthcoming Peace Conference, a special protocol concerning the mode of adhesion to the convention for the peaceful settlement of international disputes on the part of the Powers which did not take part in the First Conference but have been invited to the Second Conference.

The protocol, of which the text is appended hereto, shall be signed at The Hague, at 2 P.M. on June 14 next, in the Hall of Truce.

I am instructed by my Government to ask that the American Government will supply its representatives at The Hague with the requisite full powers to sign the protocol on the above-indicated date.

Hereby complying with my orders, I beg that your excellency will kindly let me know what reception is to be given to this request, and embrace the opportunity to renew to your excellency the assurance of my highest consideration.

VAN SWINDEREN

[Inclosure]

The Representatives, at the Second Peace Conference, of the States signatory to the Convention of 1899 relative to the pacific settlement of international disputes, duly authorized to that effect, have agreed that in case the States which were not represented at the First Peace Conference but have been invited to the present Conference should notify the Netherlands Government of their adhesion to the above-mentioned Convention they would forthwith be considered as having acceded thereto.