n order to facilitate the hostile operations
in which the Power finds itself involved."

It is, I think, clear that the solution of a question at once so novel
and so delicate must be undertaken, not by any one Power, but by the
Concert of Europe, or of the civilised world, which must devise some
guarantee for the safety of any littoral Power which would be called
upon in the general interest to restrict its measures of self-defence.
In the meantime, we may surely say that the case is provided for neither
by established international law nor by "European" Treaties; and,
further, that the Treaties between Russia and Turkey, which do provide
for it, are not such as it is desirable to perpetuate.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
T. E. HOLLAND.
Oxford, May 22 (1912).

THE CLOSING OF THE DARDANELLES

Sir,--I am reminded by Mr. Lucien Wolf's courteous letter that I ought
probably to have mentioned, in alluding to the Treaty of San Stefano,
that it is doubtful whether Art. 24 of that Treaty is in force. It was
certainly left untouched by the Treaty of Berlin, but the language of
the relevant article (3) of the definitive Treaty of Peace of 1879 is
somewhat obscure, nor is much light to be gained upon the point from the
protocol of the 14th _seance_ of the Congress of Berlin, at which Art.
24 came up for discussion.

The earlier Treaties, however, which were revived beyond question by
Art. 10 of the Treaty of 1879, grant to Russian merchant vessels full
rights of passage between the Black Sea and the AEgean, exercisable, for
all that appears, in time of war as well as of peace, although these
Treaties contain no express words to that effect. Such rights, I would
again urge, if enjoyed by one Power, should be enjoyed by all; upon
terms to be settled, not by any pair of Powers but by the Powers
collectively.

I am, Sir, your obedient servant,
T. E. HOLLAND.
Oxford, June 5 (1912).

* * * * *

SECTION 3

_In a Special Danger Zone?_

THE GERMAN THREAT

Sir,--It may perhaps be desirable, for the benefit of the general
reader, to distinguish clearly between the two topics dealt with in the
recent announcement of German naval policy.

1. We find in it what may, at first sight, suggest the establishment of
a gigantic "paper blockade," such as was proclaimed in the Berlin Decree
of 1806, stating that "Les iles Britanniques sont declarees en etat de
blocus." But in the new decr