with rigour the blockade of the enemy. My Armies have conducted successful operations not only in Europe but in Egypt, Mesopotam.a, and East Africa, and they are fully prepared to renew the great struggle, in close and cordial co-operation with my Allies, on every field. I trust that their united efforts will carry the successes already won to a victorious conclusion.

I have invited representatives of my Dominions and of my Indian Empire, which have borne so glorious a share in the struggle, to confer with my Ministers on important questions of common interest relating to the war. The step so taken will, I trust, conduce to the establishment of closer relations between all parts of my Empire.

Gentlemen of the House of Commons,

You will be asked to make the necessary provision for the effective prosecution of the war.

My Lords, and Gentlemen,

The accomplishment of the task to which I have set my hand will entail unsparing demands on the energies and resources of all my subjects. I am assured, however, that my people will respond to every call necessary for the success of our cause with the same indomitable ardour and devotion that have filled me with pride and gratitude since the war began.

I therefore confidently commend to your patriotism the measures which will be laid before you, and I pray that Almighty God may give His blessing to your counsels.

BRITISH ORDER IN COUNCIL to enforce further measures in order to prevent Commodities of any kind from reaching or leaving the Enemy Countries.— London, February 16, 1917.*

At the Court at Buckingham Palace, the 16th day of February, 1917.

PRESENT: THE KING'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY IN COUNCIL.

WHEREAS by an Order in Council dated the 11th day of March, 1915, His Majesty was pleased to direct certain measures to be taken against the commerce of the enemy;

* "London Gazette," February 20, 1917, + Vol. CIX, page 217,

And whereas the German Government has now issued a memorandum declaring that from the 1st February, 1917, all sea traffic will be prevented in certain zones therein described adjacent to Great Britain and France and Italy, and that neutral ships will navigate the said zones at their own risk;

And whereas similar directions have been given by other enemy Powers;

And whereas the orders embodied in the said memorandum are in flagrant contradiction with the rules of international law, the dictates of humanity, and the Treaty obligations of the enemy;

And whereas such proceedings on the part of the enemy render it necessary for His Majesty to adopt further measures in order to maintain the efficiency of those previously taken to prevent commodities of any kind from reaching or leaving the enemy countries, and for this purpose to subject to capture and condemnation vessels carrying goods with an enemy destination or of enemy origin unless they afford unto the forces of His Majesty and his Allies ample opportunities of examining their cargoes, and also to subject such goods to condemnation;

His Majesty is therefore pleased, by and with the advice of his Privy Council, to order, and it is hereby ordered, that the following directions shall be observed in respect of all vessels which sail from their port of departure after the date of this Order :

1. A vessel which is encountered at sea on her way to or from a port in any neutral country affording means of access to the enemy territory without calling at a port in British or Allied territory shall, until the contrary is established, be deemed to be carrying goods with an enemy destination, or of enemy origin, and shall be brought in for examination, and, if necessary, for adjudication before the Prize Court.

2. Any vessel carrying goods with an enemy destination. or of enemy origin, shall be liable to capture and condemnation in respect of the carriage of such goods; provided that, in the case of any vessel which calls at an appointed British or Allied port for the examination of her cargo, no sentence of condemnation shall be pronounced in respect only of the carriage of goods of enemy origin or destination, and no such presumption as is laid down in Article 1 shall arise.

3. Goods which are found on the examination of any vessel to be goods of enemy origin or of enemy destination shall be liable to condemnation.

4. Nothing in this Order shall be deemed to affect the liability of any vessel or goods to capture or condemnation independently of this Order.

5. This Order is supplemental to the Orders in Council of the 11th day of March, 1915, and the 10th day of January, 1917,* for restricting the commerce of the enemy. ALMERIC FITZROY.

BRITISH LETTERS PATENT, passed under the Great Seal of the United Kingdom, providing for the further Definition and Administration of certain Islands and Territories as Dependencies of the Colony of the Falkland Islands.--Westminster, March 28, 1917.

GEORGE V by the Grace of God of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and of the British Dominions beyond the Seas King, Defender of the Faith, Emperor of India: To all to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting.

WHEREAS doubts have arisen as to the limits of the groups of islands known as South Georgia, the South Orkneys, the South Shetlands, and the Sandwich Islands, and the territory of Graham Land otherwise known as Graham's Land; and whereas it is expedient that provision should be made for the government, not only of these islands and territory but also of certain other our islands and territories adjacent thereto as Dependencies of our Colony of the Falkland Islands:

1. Now we do hereby declare that from and after the publication of these our Letters Patent in the Government Gazette" of our Colony of the Falkland Islands, the Dependencies of our said Colony shall be deemed to include and to have included all islands and territories whatsoever between the 20th degree of west longitude and the 50th degree of west longitude which are situated south of the 50th parallel of south latitude; and all islands and territories whatsoever between the 50th degree of west longitude and the 80th degree of west longitude which are situated south of the 58th parallel of south latitude.

2. And we do hereby vest in the Governor and Commander-in-chief of our Colony of the Falkland Islands all such powers and authorities in and over the lands hereby included in the Dependencies of our said Colony as are exercised by him over the Dependencies in virtue of certain • Page 1.

Letters Patent bearing date at Westminster the 21st day of July, 1908.*

3. We do hereby reserve to ourselves, our heirs and successors, full power and authority from time to time to revoke, alter or amend these our Letters Patent as to us or them shall seem meet.

4. The Governor shall cause these our Letters Patent to be published in the Government "Gazette" of our Colony of the Falkland Islands, and the same shall thereupon come into force.t

In witness whereof we have caused these our Letters to be made Patent. Witness ourselves at Westminster, the 28th day of March, in the 7th year of our reign. By Warrant under the King's Sign Manual.

SCHUSTER.

BRITISH NOTIFICATION of Belgian Declaration relative to the Liquidation by Germany of Firms in Belgian Occupied Territory.-London, March 28, 1917.

Foreign Office, March 28, 1917. THE Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has received. from the Belgian Government the text of a declaration, which was published on the 19th March, 1917, of which the following is a translation:

An order of the German Governor, dated the 29th August, 1916, prescribes, in violation of the principles of international law, the forced liquidation of certain concerns in the parts of Belgium occupied by the enemy.

Further, according to reliable information, the German Government have ordered certain establishments to hand over to the Reichsbank the balances of current accounts standing in the names of French and British nationals.

Belgian legislation, in which are incorporated The Hague Conventions, recognises neither the validity of the powers given by the occupying authorities to the sequestrators named by them for the purposes of liquidating nor the validity of the actual liquidations themselves. Consequently, after the liberation of the country, persons adversely affected by any abuse which the sequestrators or other authorities * Vol. CI, page 76.

July 2, 1917.

The Letters Patent were published in the Falkland Islands "Gazette,"
"London Gazette," March 30, 1917.
C

[1917-18. cxi.]

concerned with the liquidation may make of their powers, will have a legal remedy against such authorities or sequestrators and against their estates.

All agreements or juridical acts involving anything beyond mere custody and maintenance will be liable to be annulled. The same applies to any alienation of real or personal property, transfers of credit, and in general to all acts disposing of property.

Representatives, domiciled outside of the occupied parts of Belgium, of Belgian or foreign firms or companies placed under sequestration by the German authorities would run the risk of incurring, besides civil claims against them, the infliction of the penalties provided for by the law of the 10th December, 1916, if they should carry out instructions given them by sequestrators or other authorities concerned in a liquidation.

In denouncing to neutral and allied Powers these latest abuses of the German occupation, the Belgian Government beg them to warn their nationals against the possible legal consequences of entering into any transactions with agents whose powers are not valid.

BRITISH NOTIFICATION of Additions to and Modifications in the Italian List of Contraband.London, March 30, 1917.*

Foreign Office, March 30, 1917.

THE Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has received from His Majesty's Ambassador at Rome the following translation of certain additions to and modifications in the list of goods declared by the Italian Government to be contraband of war on the 27th February, 1916. The decree proclaiming the present alterations is dated the 22nd February, 1917, and was published in the Italian "Official Gazette on the 17th March, 1917.

The following additions are made to the list of articles of absolute contraband attached to the decree of the 27th February, 1916:

Under No. 8, after "sulphur " add "sulphate of barium.” Under No. 9, oxalic acid and the oxalates, formic acid and the formiates, phenolates; sulphites and metallic hyposulphites; soda-lime and bleaching powder; strontium salts; lithium salts and their compounds.

* "London Gazette," April 3, 1917.

+ Vol, CX, page 213,