lands nationality and respecting domicile ("Nederlandsch Staatsblad," 1892, No. 268; 1910, No. 216); article 2, No. 3, of the law respecting the status of Netherlands nationality ("Nederlandsch Staatsblad," 1910, No. 55; "Indisch Staatsblad," 1910, No. 296; articles 54 and 55 of the Penal Code of Surinam; articles 54 and 55 of the Penal Code of Curaçao).

Similarly, the attention of commanding officers, owners, and charterers of ships is called to the dangers and inconveniences to which they would expose themselves by disregarding the effective blockade of belligerents, by carrying contraband of war, or military dispatches for belligerents (except in the course of the regular postal service), or by rendering them other transport services.

Any person guilty of the acts aforesaid would expose himself to all the consequences of those acts and would not be able, as regards them, to obtain any protection or intervention on the part of the Netherlands Government.

NICARAGUA.

Neutrality circular, December 5, 1914.

To correspond with the action of foreign countries who are on friendly terms with the Republic, and with the object of preventing difficulties, by rendering more efficacious the observance of the neutrality of Nicaragua in the present European conflict, according to the instructions of the President of the Republic and in his name, I confirm to you the former dispositions in this regard, and furthermore, I inform you that you can make use of this note, as soon as an occasion presents itself, in the following form:

First, all commercial vessels of the belligerent nations that meet in, or arrive at, the ports of the Republic and that possess stations of wireless telegraphy, shall keep one flag hoisted while they remain in a Nicaraguan port. ·

Second, mercantile vessels not belonging to countries at war and which have wireless apparatus shall not use this until after their departure from the ports of the Republic.

Third, it is absolutely prohibited for the submarine cable at San Juan del Sur and for the telegraphic office on the island of Bluefields to transmit, directly or indirectly, for either of the belligerent nations, messages in code, or with incomplete address or signature, or messages which contain military information or data, or that in any manner compromise the neutrality of Nicaragua; the superior administrative authorities of the port shall permit the transmission of those dispatches which they consider not to be subject to censorial rules.

Fourth, mercantile vessels of any nationality that arrive at Nicaraguan ports under suspicious circumstances, such as having

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65

made false statements regarding their destination when sailing from a port of the Republic on a former occasion; being known, by official notice, to have supplied fuel or provisions to war vessels of belligerents; having employed an excessive length of time in their voyage; being painted with colors peculiar to war vessels or with similarly distinctive signs, shall be interned in their respective ports, the respective authorities of which shall immediately inform the Office of Foreign Affairs of the necessary ulterior measures.

Hoping that you will acknowledge receipt of this dispatch and see that it is put into effect,

I remain, your attentive servant,

PERSIA.

CHAMORRO.

Proclamation of neutrality, November 1, 1914, by His Majesty Ahmed Schah, at the opening of the Persian Parliament.

[Rev. Gén., Doc. 22: 180.]

God is Sovereign. We, Sultan Ahmed Schah, Emperor and son of the Emperor of Persia.

In consideration of the hostilities, unfortunately being carried on at this moment in Europe; noticing the adjacency of our frontiers to the theater of war; in view of the relations of friendship happily existing between us and the belligerent powers: In order to make known to our people our sacred intention to safeguard these good relations with the States at war.

Command His Highness Mastafi-el-Mamalek, our illustrious president of the council and minister of interior, to bring this imperial firman (decree) to the knowledge of all the governorsgeneral, generals, and functionaries of our Empire and to inform them that our Government in the actual circumstances has adopted the strictest neutrality. He will publish in addition that we have decided to maintain, as in the past, our amicable relations with the belligerent countries. In consequence, it is notified to the functionaries of our Government that it is their duty to commit no act on land or sea, either for or against the belligerent States. They are enjoined to furnish them with neither arms nor munitions. They should avoid taking part with any of the countries at war and will be bound to make the strictest neutrality of Persia respected. We reserve it to ourselves to command the execution of other measures which our Government may judge necessary to propose to us and which will be of a nature to assure the maintenance of our neutrality and of our good relations with all the countries.

79596-17-5

SALVADOR.

Note explaining attitude of neutrality, December 4, 1914.

[Libro Rosado de El Salvador, Ano VI, Nos. X, XI y XII, OctobreNoviembre-Diciembre, 1914, pp. 77-78.]

SAN SALVADOR, 4th of December, 1914. MR. MINISTER: I have the honor to acknowledge receipt of Your Excellency's courteous note, dated the first of this month, in which, acting on instructions from the Department of State in Washington, you ask me to deliver to the legation under the worthy direction of Your Excellency, a complete collection of all public documents, decrees, proclamations, declarations, and orders relative to the present European war which have been issued by the Government of this Republic.

In answer I wish to state to Your Excellency that my Government has not issued any publication, proclamation, declaration, or decrees whatever regarding the European conflict. Its action has been limited to giving instructions to the maritime officials of our ports in order that they may maintain the greatest vigilance in regard to the use of stations of wireless telegraphy by belligerent vessels coming into its waters.

Besides this, my Government has merely addressed to its diplomatic representative accredited to the Department of State in Washington a note dated November 16th last, in reply to the inquiry made to this Government through the agency of the Department, by Count von Bernstorff, Ambassador of Germany near Your Excellency's Government, to the effect that there be laid before him a copy of the proclamation of neutrality by Salvador in the European conflict. In this note of reply this chancery indicated the following to its diplomatic representative in Washington, in order that thus he should bring it to the knowledge of the Ambassador of Germany and of any other legation of the neutral or belligerent countries which might interrogate him in regard to the same question :

"The use of proclamations of neutrality was introduced when international law had not as yet determined with precision the principles by which the rights and obligations that a state of war creates between neutrals and belligerents were to be governed. Since then it has been observed in cases where a neutral had either a very active commerce with the belligerents or frontiers in common with them; or in cases where warlike supplies may be furnished or when a neutral owned a commercial fleet which might be affected in its communication with belligerents. Our country does not find itself in any of these situations in the present war; and as the state of neutrality and the relations which it establishes are legal conditions which arise from the war itself and from the international principles by which it is regulated, Salvador, by its neutral character, is obliged

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67

strictly to observe these principles of neutrality, principles which this country does not need to promulgate in the form of a proclamation; all such principles are amply expounded in the fourteen diplomatic conventions subscribed to in the Second Conference of The Hague in 1907 and in the Naval Convention of London, the 26th of February, 1909. Consequently Salvador's line of conduct as a neutral country is clearly marked out in the abovementioned treaties of The Hague and in the Convention of London. For this reason you will please convey to His Excellency the Ambassador of Germany, and to whatever other diplomatic agent should ask information of you on this subject, that the Government of Salvador has decided to preserve intact the principles and rules of the above-mentioned treaties, in conformity with its character as a neutral country, in the present European conflict, though it has not thought necessary to make a proclamation expressly to this effect."

I take this occasion to convey to Your Excellency the expression of my highest and most distinguished consideration.

FRANCISCO MARTINEZ S.

To His Excellency the Honorable Boaz W. Long, Minister Plenipotentiary of the United States of North America.

SIAM.

Declaration of neutrality, August 6, 1914.

By command of His Majesty the King Maha Vajiravudh Phra Mongkut Khao.

To all to whom these presents shall come, know ye:

Whereas the III Convention of The Hague, 18th October, 1907, relative to the opening of hostilities, article 2 says: "The existence of the state of war must be notified to the neutral powers without delay, and shall not take effect in regard to them until after the receipt of the notification, which may, however, be given by telegraph. Neutral powers, nevertheless, can not rely on the absence of notification if it is clearly established that they were in fact aware of the existence of a state of war;" and

Whereas a state of war now exists in Austria-Hungary, France, Germany, Great Britain, Russia, and Servia; and

Whereas we are happily at peace and on terms of friendship with each of these sovereigns and chiefs of state and with their respective subjects and the inhabitants of their respective dominions; and

Whereas we desire that our subjects shall continue to enjoy, and shall be secured in the enjoyment of, the infinite blessings of peace; to which end we are determined to maintain a strict and impartial neutrality in the state of war above mentioned;

Now, therefore, we do issue this our royal proclamation, and we do hereby order and command all our subjects to observe

strict and impartial neutrality in and during the said war, and to observe the laws of this Kingdom, her treaty engagements, and the law of nations in that behalf.

Given at our court at Nagara Pathom on this 6th day of August, 2457, year of our lord Buddha, and in the fifth year of our reign (August 6, 1914).

SPAIN.

Declaration of neutrality, August 7, 1914.1

[Gaceta de Madrid, August 7, 1914; 155 Boletín de Legislacfon, 1914, 132.]

War having unfortunately been declared between Germany on the one hand and Russia, France, and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland on the other, and the state of war existing in Austria-Hungary and in Belgium, it is the duty of his majesty's Government to prescribe to Spanish subjects the strictest neutrality in conformity with the laws in force and the principles of public international law.

In consequence, Spaniards residing in Spain and abroad who carry out any hostile act regarded as contrary to the strictest neutrality will lose all right to the protection of his majesty's Government and will undergo the consequences of any measures which the belligerents may establish, and that without prejudice to the penalties which they will incur according to the Spanish laws.

Agents, national or foreign, who, in Spanish territory, are employed or aiding in recruiting soldiers for any of the belligerent armies or navies, will in addition be subjected to the application of article 150 of the penal code.2

SWITZERLAND.

Ordinance forbidding the installation and utilization of radiotelegraph stations. August 2, 1914.

[Bundesgesetze und Verordnungen 1914, 30: 351.]

The Swiss Federal Council, on the proposal of its military department, orders:

ARTICLE 1. The creation of new radio stations is forbidden on all territory of the Swiss Confederation.

1 Similar declarations, in reference to war between Austria and Servia, July 30, 1914; Austria and Montenegro, August 14, 1914; Austria and Russia, France and Great Britain, August 16, 1914; Germany and Japan, August 26, 1914; Austria and Belgium, September 1, 1914; Turkey and Russia, France, and Great Britain, November 10, 1914; Italy and Austria, May 29, 1915; Italy and Turkey, August 25, 1915, etc.

2 A decree of November 23, 1914, declared XIII Hague Convention, 1907, concerning the rights and duties of neutral powers in naval war, operative. (155 Boletín de Legislacfcn, 1914, 75.)