The foregoing is hereby communicated to you for your information, and that you should apply to the office of this Zone for the documents in the above referred to instructions. The Minister of Finance,

A. CABEZAS.

FRENCH DECREE Prohibiting the Use of Wireless Telegraphy in French Territorial Waters and Ports.-Paris, August, 1914.*

LE Ministre de la Marine,

Vu la loi du 9 août, 1849 (chap. 111, § 7),

Arrête:

ART. 1er. L'emploi de la télégraphie sans fil est interdit à bord des bâtiments de commerce dans les eaux territoriales et dans les ports de France.

2. En entrant dans les ports, ou sur l'ordre des autorités maritimes ou militaires dans les eaux territoriales, l'antenne doit être amenée, isolée de la cabine de T.S.F., ses drisses défrappées.

L'antenne ne devra pas être rétablie pendant le séjour du navire dans les eaux territoriales.

3. Toute infraction à ce règlement expose les capitaines des navires contrevenants à des poursuites judiciaires et à la saisie des appareils radiotélégraphiques.

4. Ce règlement ne s'applique pas aux bâtiments de la marine. nationale, ni à ceux qui sont armés temporairement pour son service. Il pourra en outre y être dérogé sur licence spéciale délivrée par l'autorité maritime, en faveur de certains bâtiments étrangers (anglais notamment) effectuant des transports spéciaux.

VICTOR AUGAGNEUR.

NOTIFICATION of the Greek Government relative to the Maintenance of its Neutrality in the European War.Athens, July 31, 1914.

M. LE MINISTRE,

Athènes, le 31 juillet, 1914. LE Gouvernement Royal hellénique, neutre dans les guerres qui viennent d'éclater, conformera sa conduite vis-à-vis des Puissances belligérantes aux principes généraux du droit des

"Journal officiel," August 16, 1914.

gens et, bien qu'il n'ait encore ratifié les Conventions de La Haye du 18 octobre, 1907, concernant les droits et les devoirs des Puissances neutres en cas de guerre sur terre* et en cas de guerre maritime, il s'inspirera des règles établies par elles. a fixé la limite de la mer territoriale pour ce qui concerne la neutralité à 6 milles marins. Il a enfin arrêté, au sujet de la télégraphie sans fil, la réglementation suivante:

L'usage de la télégraphie sans fil est rigoureusement interdit aux navires de guerre et de commerce étrangers dans les ports et les eaux territoriales du Royaume. Cette interdiction sera notifiée à tout navire de guerre étranger dès son arrivée dans un port grec. Quant aux navires de commerce, aussitôt entrés dans un port grec, ils recevront la visite de l'autorité compétente qui, après avoir invité le consul du pays du pavillon à y assister ou à s'y faire représenter, procédera à la mise sous scellés de la cabine du télégraphe sans fil du navire; les scellés seront enlevés au départ et il sera notifié au capitaine l'interdiction faite au navire de se servir du télégraphe sans fil avant sa sortie des eaux territoriales.

Il est de même interdit à tout navire de commerce grec, sous la responsabilité de son capitaine, de recevoir des postes étrangers de télégraphie sans fil ou de leur transmettre des radiogrammes chiffrés ou des radiogrammes en clair relatifs ou pouvant même paraître relatifs à des nouvelles de nature militaire. Veuillez agréer, &c.

STREIT.

GUATEMALAN DECREE relative to the Observance of Neutrality during the European War.

August 12, 1914.

(Translation.)

[No. 718.]

Guatemala,

Manuel Estrada Cabrera, Constitutional President of the Republic of Guatemala.

WHEREAS war has been declared between various European nations with which Guatemala maintains cordial relations : Therefore Ministers in Council

Decree :

ART. 1. The Republic declares its neutrality in the existing European conflict.

2. The authorities and the inhabitants of the Republic will regulate their conduct in conformity with the Conventions regarding the rights and duties of neutral Powers and persons in respect of war by land, and to the rights and duties of neutral

Vol. C, page 359.

+ Vol. C, page 448.

Powers in respect of maritime warfare, subscribed to at The Hague on the 18th October, 1907.*

To be communicated and published.

Given in the National Palace of Guatemala the 12th day of the month of August, 1914.

MANUEL ESTRADA C. (and Ministers).

[Here follows the text of the two Conventions.]

DECREE of the Government of Guatemala relative to the Dismantling of Wireless Telegraphy Apparatus on Merchant Vessels of Belligerent Nations during their stay in Guatemalan Waters.-Guatemala, September 1, 1914.

(Translation.)

National Palace, Guatemala, September 1, 1911. THE Government of the Republic having issued a Decree No. 718 of the 12th August last declaring the neutrality of Guatemala in the war now existing between various nations of Europe, and considering that it is necessary to take indispensable precautions in order to render effective their neutrality in so far as concerns the wireless communications of the merchant vessels belonging to the belligerents frequenting Guatemalan waters;

Therefore the Constitutional President of the Republic in execution of the above-mentioned Decree ordains that after the present date all merchant ships of the belligerent nations which stay in the territorial waters of Guatemala or enter into them shall dismantle their wireless telegraphy apparatus while they remain in the jurisdiction.

Ships which do not comply with this disposition shall be considered as armed ships, and there will be notified to them the order to retire from Guatemalan waters in conformity with the Convention No. 13 of The Hague, 1907.†

ESTRADA C.

LUIS TOLEDO HERRARTE.

ITALIAN DECREE relative to the Restrictions to be imposed on Foreign Vessels in view of the Preservation of Neutrality. -Rome, April 6, 1866.

(Translation.)

ART. 1. No warship or armed merchant ship of any belligerent State will be allowed to enter or remain with prize in the ports or harbours of the kingdom unless compelled to seek refuge.

* Vol. C, pages 359 and 468.

† Vol. C, page 448.

2. In the event of any warship or merchant vessel referred to in the preceding Article being compelled under the conditions specified therein to enter a port, they must leave the coasts of the kingdom as soon as the reason which has caused them to seek refuge has disappeared, subject to the regulations laid down in Article 11.

3. No sales, exchanges, bartering, or gifts of goods derived from prizes may be effected on any ground whatever in the ports, harbours, or on the shores of the kingdom.

4. Italian subjects are forbidden to accept any commission from belligerent parties to arm vessels in war-time or accept letters of marque to undertake sea voyages, or abet in any way in equipping, arming, or fitting out a warship or privateer on behalf of belligerent subjects.

5. In accordance with Article 35 of the Mercantile Marine Penal Code all subjects of the Kingdom of Italy are forbidden to enrol themselves or take service on warships or on armed merchant ships belonging to one of the belligerent States.

6. Those subjects who contravene the regulations set forth in the preceding Articles 4 and 5, or who commit any act in regard to one of the belligerent Powers contrary to the duties of neutrality maintained by the Italian Government towards the above-mentioned parties, will not be able to claim protection against such acts or measures, whatever they may be, as the belligerents may choose to enforce against them, without prejudice to the penalties which under Article 5 of the present Decree are incurred by them under Article 80 of the Mercantile Marine Penal Code of the 13th January, 1827.

7. No belligerent warship or privateer may remain for more than twenty-four hours in a port, harbour, or off the coast of the kingdom or in the adjacent waters, even though it arrive there alone, except in the case of enforced refuge through bad weather, of accident, or lack of provisions necessary for the safety of navigation.

8. The warships of a friendly Power, even though belligerent, may enter and remain in the ports, harbours, and off the coast of the kingdom, provided their object is exclusively scientific.

9. In no case may a belligerent vessel make use of an Italian port for war purposes or for the purpose of obtaining a supply of arms and ammunition.

It may not under the pretext of repairs execute work in any way calculated to increase its war strength.

10. Belligerent warships or privateers will be furnished with such food, goods, and means of repair as are absolutely necessary for the support of the crew and the safety of their navigation. Such belligerent warships and privateers as wish to replenish their store of coal cannot receive such provision before twenty-four hours after their arrival.

11. If warships, privateers, or merchantmen of the two belligerent parties should be at the same moment in a port, harbour, or off the coast of the kingdom, an interval of at least

twenty-four hours must elapse between the departure of any ship of the one belligerent party and that of any ship of the other party.

This interval may be increased according to circumstances by the naval authorities of the places.

12. In ports which are regarded as fortified naval harbours or military or naval fortified ports, in anchorages where military or naval works, arsenals, or docks exist, warships of foreign Powers may not anchor in numbers greater than three of one country, or for a period longer than eight days.

This period of stay may be prolonged only in the event of enforced stay, or of accident, or on receipt of a formal permission from the Royal Government to whom the local naval authorities must refer through the Ministry of Marine.

13. The harbours and anchorages referred to above are the following:

Genoa and the neighbourhood along the coast of the Gulf. The Gulf of Spezia, Leghorn, Portoferraio, Naples, Baia, Castellamare, Gaeta, Messina, with the anchorages of the lighthouse, and of Reggio (Calabria), Milazzo, Syracuse, Augusta, Palermo, Trapani, Taranto, Brindisi, Ancona, Cagliari, and the island of Maddalena.

14. The naval authorities of the places mentioned in the preceding Article must on the arrival of a foreign warship hand to their commanders or officers in charge a copy of the present rules for their guidance, with the request that they will conform to them.

15. The naval authorities of the kingdom are entrusted with the execution of the instructions laid down in the present Decree, which shall come into force on the day of its publication in the various parts of the kingdom.

16. All regulations now in force are annulled in so far as they are contrary to the present Decree.

LIBERIAN PROCLAMATION of Neutrality in the
European War.-Monrovia, August 10, 1914.

By the President of the Republic of Liberia.

WHEREAS the Government of the Republic of Liberia has been informed that a state of war exists in Europe in which the following Powers are belligerents: Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Great Britain, Russia, and Serbia ;

and

Whereas the duty and interests of the Republic of Liberia require that it shall in all sincerity and good faith adopt and maintain a neutral and impartial conduct toward the belligerent Powers;