eckoned among
the few powers which had not acceded to the Declaration of
Paris, announced their intention to conduct the war in
accordance with the rules laid down by the Declaration.

Art. 3 of the Spanish Royal Decree of April 23 was to the
effect that "notwithstanding that Spain is not bound by the
Declaration signed in Paris on April 16, 1856, as she expressly
stated her wish not to adhere to it, my Government, guided by
the principles of international law, intends to observe, and
hereby orders that the following regulations for maritime law
be observed," viz. Arts. 2, 3, and 4 of the Declaration,
after setting out which, the Decree proceeds to state that the
Government, while maintaining "their right to issue letters of
marque, ... will organise, for the present, a service of
auxiliary cruisers ... subject to the statutes and jurisdiction
of the Navy."

The Proclamation of the President of the United States of April
26 recited the desirability of the war being "conducted upon
principles in harmony with the present views of nations, and
sanctioned by their recent practice," and that it "has already
been announced that the policy of the Government will not be to
resort to privateering, but to adhere to the rules of the
Declaration of Paris," and goes on to adopt rules 2, 3, and 4
of the Declaration.

Ten years afterwards, viz. on January 18, 1908, Spain
signified "her entire and definitive adhesion to the four
clauses contained in the Declaration," undertaking scrupulously
to conduct herself accordingly. Mexico followed suit on
February 13, 1909. The United States are therefore now the only
important Power which has not formally bound itself not to
employ privateers. It seems unlikely that privateers, in the
old sense of the term, will be much heard of in the future,
though many questions may arise as to "volunteer navies" and
subsidised liners, such as those touched upon in the last
section, with reference to captures made by the _Malacca_;
possibly also as to ships "converted" on the High Seas.

OUR MERCANTILE MARINE IN WAR TIME

Sir,--There can be no doubt that serious loss would be occasioned to
British commerce by a war between the United States and Spain in which
either of those Powers should exercise its right of employing privateers
or of confiscating enemy good