MARTENS. (L. S.) A. BASILY. Pour la Serbie: (L. S.) CHEDO MIYATOVITCH. Sous les réserves, consignées au procès-verbal de la Troisième Commission du 20 juillet 1899. Pour le Siam: (L. S.) PHYA SURIYA NUVATR. (L. S.) VISUDDHA. Pour les Royaumes Unis de Suède et de Norvège: (L. S.) BILDT. Pour la Suisse: (L. S.) ROTH. Pour la Turquie: (L. T.) MEHEMED NOURY. (L. S.) D. STANCIOFF. (L. S.) MAJOR HESSAPTCHIEFF. Certifié pour copie conforme, Le Secrétaire Général du Département des Affaires Etrangères, (L. s.) L H RUYSSENAERS. LA HAYE, le 31 janvier 1900. United States. And whereas the said Convention was signed by the Plenipotentiaries Reservation by of the United States of America under reservation of the following declaration: "Nothing contained in this convention shall be so construed as to require the United States of America to depart from its traditional policy of not intruding upon, interfering with, or entangling itself in the political questions or policy or internal administration of any foreign state; nor shall anything contained in the said convention be construed to imply a relinquishment by the United States of America of its traditional attitude toward purely American questions;" And whereas the said Convention was duly ratified by the Government of the United States of America, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate thereof, and by the Governments of the other Powers aforesaid with the exception of China and Turkey; And whereas, in pursuance of the stipulations of Article LVIII of the said Convention the ratifications of the said Convention were deposited at The Hague on the 4th. day of September, 1900, by the Plenipotentiaries of the Governments of the United States of America, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, France, Great Britain, Italy, the Netherlands, Persia, Portugal, Roumania, Russia, Siam, Sweden and Norway and Bulgaria; on the 6th. day of October, 1900, by the Plenipotentiary of the Government of Japan; on the 16th. day of October, 1900, by the Plenipotentiary of the Government of Montenegro; on the 29th. day of December, 1900, by the Plenipotentiary of the Government of Switzerland; on the 4th. day of April, 1901, by the Ratification. Proclamation. April, 1901, by the Plenipotentiary of the Government of Mexico; on the 11th. day of May, 1901, by the Plenipotentiary of the Government of Servia; and on the 12th. day of July, 1901, by the Plenipotentiary of the Government of Luxembourg. Now, therefore, be it known that I, Theodore Roosevelt, President of the United States of America, have caused the said Convention to be made public, to the end that the same and every clause thereof may be observed and fulfilled with good faith by the United States and the citizens thereof, subject to the reserve made in the aforesaid declaration of the Plenipotentiaries of the United States. In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed. Done at the City of Washington this first day of November in the Convention between the United States of America and Certain Powers, with respect to the laws and customs of war on land. Signed at The Hague July 29, 1899; ratification advised by the Senate March 14, 1902; ratified by the President of the United States March 19, 1902; ratifications deposited with the Netherlands Government September 4, 1900; proclaimed April 11, 1902. July 29, 1899. BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. A PROCLAMATION. Whereas a Convention with respect to the laws and customs of war Preamble. on land was concluded and signed on July 29, 1899, by the Plenipotentiaries of the United States of America, Germany, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, Spain, Mexico, France, Great Britain and Ireland, Greece, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Montenegro, the Netherlands, Persia, Portugal, Roumania, Russia, Servia, Siam, Sweden and Norway, Turkey, and Bulgaria, the original of which Convention, in the French language, is word for word as follows: [Translation.] CONVENTION WITH RESPECT TO THE LAWS AND CUSTOMS OF WAR ON LAND. His Majesty the Emperor of Germany, King of Prussia; His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia etc., and Apostolic King of Hungary; His Majesty the King of the Belgians; His Majesty the King of Denmark; His Majesty the King of Spain and in His Name Her Majesty the Queen Regent of the Kingdom; the President of the United States of America; the President of the United Mexican States; the President of the French Republic; Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, Empress of India; His Majesty the King of the Hellenes; His Majesty the King of Italy; His Majesty the Emperor of Japan; His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Luxemburg, Duke of Nassau; His CONVENTION CONCERNANT LES LOIS ET COUTUMES DE LA GUERRE SUR TERRE. Sa Majesté l'Empereur d'Allemagne, Roi de Prusse; Sa Majesté l'Empereur d'Autriche, Roi de Bohême etc. et Roi Apostolique de Hongrie; Sa Majesté le Roi des Belges; Sa Majesté le Roi de Danemark; Sa Majesté le Roi d'Espagne et en Son Nom Sa Majesté la Reine-Régente du Royaume; le Président des Etats-Unis d'Amérique; le Président des Etats-Unis Mexicains; le Président de la République Française; Sa Majesté la Reine du Royaume-Uni de la Grande Bretagne et d'Irlande, Impératrice des Indes; Sa Majesté le Roi des Hellènes; Sa Majesté le Roi d'Italie; Sa Majesté l'Empereur du Japon; Son Altesse Royale le Grand-Duc de Luxembourg, Duc de Nassau; Son Altesse le Prince de Monténégro; Contracting parties. Purposes of convention. negro; Her Majesty the Queen of the Netherlands; His Imperial Majesty the Shah of Persia; His Majesty the King of Portugal and of the Algarves etc.; His Majesty the King of Roumania; His Majesty the Emperor of all the Russias; His Majesty the King of Servia; His Majesty the King of Siam; His Majesty the King of Sweden and Norway; His Majesty the Emperor of the Ottomans and His Royal Highness the Prince of Bulgaria. Considering that, while seeking means to preserve peace and prevent armed conflicts among nations, it is likewise necessary to have regard to cases where an appeal to arms may be caused by events which their solicitude could not avert; Animated by the desire to serve, even in this extreme hypothesis, the interests of humanity and the ever increasing requirements of civilization: Thinking it important, with this object, to revise the laws and general customs of war, either with the view of defining them more precisely, or of laying down certain limits for the purpose of modifying their severity as far as possible: Inspired by these views which are enjoined at the present day, as they were twenty-five years ago at the time of the Brussels Conference in 1874, by a wise and generous foresight; Have, in this spirit, adopted a great number of provisions, the object of which is to define and govern the usages of war on land. In view of the High Contracting Parties, these provisions, the wording of which has been inspired by the desire to diminish the evils of war so far as military necessities permit, are destined to serve as general rules of conduct for belligerents in their relations with each other and with populations. It has not, however, been possible Sa Majesté Impériale le Schah de Perse; Sa Majesté le Roi de Portugal et des Algarves etc.; Sa Majesté le Roi de Roumanie; Sa Majesté l'Empereur de Toutes les Russies; Sa Majesté le Roi de Serbie: Sa Majesté le Roi de Siam; Sa Majesté le Roi de Suède et de Norvège; Sa Majesté l'Empereur des Ottomans et Son Altesse Royale le Prince de Bulgarie Considérant que, tout en recherchant les moyens de sauvegarder la paix et de prévenir les conflits armés entre les nations, il importe de se préoccuper également du cas où l'appel aux armes serait amené par des événements que Leur sollicitude n'aurait pu détourner; Animés du désir de servir encore, dans cette hypothèse extrême, les intérêts de l'humanité et les exigences toujours progressives de la civilisation; Estimant qu'il importe, à cette fin, de reviser les lois et coutumes générales de la guerre, soit dans le but de les définir avec plus de précision, soit afin d'y tracer certaines limites destinées à en restreindre autant que possible les rigueurs; S'inspirant de ces vues recommandées aujourd'hui, comme il y a vingt-cinq ans, lors de la Conférence de Bruxelles de 1874, par une sage et généreuse prévoyance; Ont, dans cet esprit, adopté un grand nombre de dispositions qui ont pour objet de définir et de régler les usages de la guerre sur terre. Selon le vues des Hautes Parties contractantes, ces dispositions, dont la rédaction a été inspirée par le désir de diminuer les maux de la guerre, autant que les nécessités militaires le permettent, sont destinées à servir de règle générale de conduite aux belligérants, dans leurs rapports entre eux et avec les populations. I n'a pas été possible toutefois embracing all the circumstances stipulations s'étendant à toutes les which occur in practice. On the other hand, it could not be intended by the High Contracting Parties that the cases not provided for should, for want of a written provision, be left to the arbitrary judgment of the military Commanders. Until a more complete code of the laws of war is issued, the High Contracting Parties think it right to declare that in cases not included in the Regulations adopted by them, populations and belligerents remain under the protection and empire of the principles of international law, as they result from the usages established between civilized nations, from the laws of humanity, and the requirements of the public conscience; They declare that it is in this sense especially that Articles I and II of the Regulations adopted must be understood; The High Contracting Parties, desiring to conclude a Convention to this effect, have appointed as their Plenipotentiaries, to-wit: His Majesty the Emperor of Germany, King of Prussia: His Excellency Count de Munster, Prince of Derneburg, His Ambassador at Paris. His Majesty the Emperor of Austria, King of Bohemia, etc., and Apostolic King of Hungary: His Excellency Count R. de Welsersheimb, His Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary; Mr. Alexander Okolicsanyi d'Okolicsna, His Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at The Hague. His Majesty the King of the Belgians: His Excellency Mr. Auguste Beernaert, His Minister of State, President of the Chamber of Representatives; Count de Grelle Rogier, His Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at The Hague; the Cheva lier Descamps, Senator. His Majesty the King of Den circonstances qui se présentent dans la pratique. D'autre part, il ne pouvait entrer dans les intentions des Hautes Parties Contractantes que les cas non prévus fussent, faute de stipulation écrite, laissées à l'appréciation arbitraire de ceux qui dirigent les armées. En attendant qu'un code plus complet des lois de la guerre puisse être édicté, les Hautes Parties Contractantes jugent oppertun de constater que, dans les cas non compris dans les dispositions réglementaires adoptées par Elles, les populations et les belligérants restent sous la sauveguarde et sous l'empire des principes du droit des gens, tels qu'ils résultent des usages établis entre nations civilisées, des lois de l'humantié et des exigences de la conscience publique. Elles déclarent que c'est dans ce sens que doivent s'entendre notamment les articles un et deux du Règlement adopté; Les Hautes Parties contractantes désirant conclure une Convention à cet effet ont nommé pour Leurs plénipotentiaires, savoir: Sa Majesté l'Empereur d'Alle- Plenipotentiaries. magne, Roi de Prusse: Son Excellence le Comte de Münster, Prince de Derneburg, Son Ambassadeur à Paris. Sa Majesté l'Empereur d'Autriche, Roi de Bohême etc., et Roi Apostolique de Hongrie: Son Excellence le Comte R. de Welsersheimb, Son Ambassadeur extraordinaire et plénipotentiaire. M. Alexandre Okolicsanyi d'Okoliesna, Son Envoyé extraordinaire et Ministre plénipotentiaire à la Have. Sa Majesté le Roi des Belges: Son Excellence M. Auguste Beernaert, Son Ministre d'Etat, Président de la Chambre des Représentants. M. le Comte Degrelle Rogier, Son Envoyé extraordinaire et Ministre plénipotentiaire à la Haye. M. le Chevalier Descamps, Sénateur. Sa Majesté le Roi de Danemark: |