Volume I Part 44 (2/2)

Bonfils, No. 583--Despagnet, No. 401--Pradier-Fodere, V. No.

2548--Merignhac, II. p. 532--Nys, II. p. 170--Rivier, I. pp. 244 and 386--Fiore, II. No. 822, and Code, Nos. 1134-1137--Stoerk in Holtzendorff, II. pp. 507-508--Liszt, -- 29--Ullmann, -- 103--Lauterbach, ”Die Beschadigung unterseeischer Telegraphenkabel” (1889)--Landois, ”Zur Lehre vom volkerrechtlichen Schutz der submarinen Telegraphenkabel”

(1894)--Jouhannaud, ”Les cables sous-marins” (1904)--Renault, in R.I. XII. (1880), p. 251, XV. (1883), p. 17. See also the literature quoted below, vol. II., at the commencement of -- 214.

[Sidenote: Telegraph cables in the Open Sea admitted.]

-- 286. It is a consequence of the freedom of the Open Sea that no State can prevent another from laying telegraph and telephone cables in any part of the Open Sea, whereas no State need allow this within its territorial maritime belt. As numerous submarine cables have been laid, the question as to their protection arose. Already in 1869 the United States proposed an international convention for this purpose, but the matter dropped in consequence of the outbreak of the Franco-German war.

The Inst.i.tute of International Law took up the matter in 1879[583] and recommended an international agreement. In 1882 France invited the Powers to an International Conference at Paris for the purpose of regulating the protection of submarine cables. This conference met in October 1882, again in October 1883, and produced the ”International Convention for the Protection of Submarine Telegraph Cables” which was signed at Paris on April 16, 1884.[584]

[Footnote 583: See Annuaire, III. pp. 351-394.]

[Footnote 584: See Martens, N.R.G. 2nd Ser. XI. p. 281.]

The signatory Powers are:--Great Britain, Argentina, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Brazil, Colombia, Costa Rica, Denmark, San Domingo, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Holland, Italy, Persia, Portugal, Roumania, Russia, Salvador, Servia, Spain, Sweden-Norway, Turkey, the United States, and Uruguay. Colombia and Persia did not ratify the treaty, but, on the other hand, j.a.pan acceded to it later on.

[Sidenote: International Protection of Submarine Telegraph Cables.]

-- 287. The protection afforded to submarine telegraph cables finds its expression in the following stipulations of this international treaty:--

(1) Intentional or culpably negligent breaking or damaging of a cable in the Open Sea is to be punished by all the signatory Powers,[585] except in the case of such damage having been caused in the effort of self-preservation (article 2).

[Footnote 585: See the Submarine Telegraph Act, 1885 (48 & 49 Vict. c.

49).]

(2) s.h.i.+ps within sight of buoys indicating cables which are being laid or which are damaged must keep at least a quarter of a nautical mile distant (article 6).

(3) For dealing with infractions of the interdictions and injunctions of the treaty the Courts of the flag State of the infringing vessel are exclusively competent (article 8).

(4) Men-of-war of all signatory Powers have a right to stop and to verify the nationality of merchantmen of all nations which are suspected of having infringed the regulations of the treaty (article 10).

(5) All stipulations are made for the time of peace only and in no wise restrict the action of belligerents during time of war.[586]

[Footnote 586: See below, vol. II. -- 214, and art. 54 of the Hague rules concerning land warfare which enacts:--”Submarine cables connecting a territory occupied with a neutral territory shall not be seized or destroyed except in the case of absolute necessity. They also must be restored and indemnities for them regulated at the peace.”]

VIII

WIRELESS TELEGRAPHY ON THE OPEN SEA

Bonfils, Nos. 531{10, 11}--Despagnet, 433 _quater_--Liszt, -- 29--Ullmann, -- 147--Meili, ”Die drahtlose Telegraphie, &c.”

(1908)--Schneeli, ”Drahtlose Telegraphie und Volkerrecht”

(1908)--Landsberg, ”Die drahtlose Telegraphie” (1909)--Kausen, ”Die drahtlose Telegraphie im Volkerrecht” (1910)--Rolland in R.G.

XIII. (1906), pp. 58-92--Fauchille in Annuaire, XXI. (1906), pp.

76-87--Meurer and Boidin in R.G. XVI. (1909), pp. 76 and 261.

[Sidenote: Radio-telegraphy between s.h.i.+ps and the sh.o.r.e.]

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