ot ripe for a comprehensive codification
of the whole law of nations, there is nevertheless a series of matters
in need of international regulation; for example, extradition, the
so-called international private law and international criminal law,
acquisition and loss of nationality, and a series of other matters, not
to mention matters of international administration. Matters which are
already governed by customary law might also be brought within the
domain of enacted law, and at the same time could be put as regards
details upon a surer basis. I have in mind the law of ambassadors and
consuls, the law concerning the open sea and territorial waters, the law
about merchantmen and men-of-war in foreign territorial waters, and more
of this kind.

[Sidenote: Difficulties in the way of international legislation.]

32. The peculiar character of international legislation involves,
however, difficulties of all sorts.

[Sidenote: The language question.]

There is, to begin with, the question of language. Seeing that it is
impossible to employ all languages in the enactment of rules of
international law, an agreement must be made for adopting some one
language for these laws, in the same way that French is used at the
present time. But the difficulty thence arising is not insuperable, and
is hardly greater than that which is encountered in drafting a treaty
between peoples whose speech belongs to different families. It must,
however, be a rigid rule that in every case of doubt the text of the law
in its original language--not that of a translation into the languages
of other countries--is authoritative.

[Sidenote: The opposing interests of the several states.]

33. There is, secondly, the difficulty of contenting the opposite
interests of the members of the community of states. But this, too, is
in practice not insurmountable. Of course, where there is such a
brawling between these interests that no agreement is possible, there
can from the outset be no talk of international legislation. This,
however, is not everywhere the case. On the contrary, it is often and in
different areas the case, that the _international_ interests of states
make themselves felt so urgently and so cogently that these states are
ready to sacrifice their particular interests if only a reasonable
compromise be open to them.

[Sidenote: Contrasted methods of drafting.]

34. There is further the difficulty of finding expression in adequate