of merchant vessels into
warships on the high seas; (7) Transfer to a neutral flag; (8)
Nationality or domicil, as the test of enemy property; signed
on February 26, 1909, the Declaration of London.

The Convention No. xii. of 1907 and the Declaration of London
of 1909 have alike failed to obtain ratification. _Cf._ now the
two immediately following sections, 9 and 10.

An ultimate Court of Appeal in cases of Prize seems now likely
to be provided by the "Permanent Court of International
Justice," proposed by the League of Nations in pursuance of
Art. 14 of the Treaty of Versailles. See also Art. 24 of the
Treaty. _Cf. supra_, p. 2.

* * * * *

SECTION 9

_The Naval Prize Bill_

The first two letters in this section contain the criticisms of
the Bill to which allusion is made in the first lines of a
letter of later date, q.v. _supra_, p. 36. On the rejection of
the Bill, see _ib._, note 1.

THE NAVAL PRIZE BILL

Sir--A paternal interest in the Naval Prize Bill may perhaps be thought
a sufficient excuse for the few remarks which I am about to make upon
it. The Bill owes its existence to a suggestion made by me, just ten
years ago, while engaged in bringing up to date for the Admiralty my
_Manual of Naval Prise Law_ of 1888. It was drafted by me, after
prolonged communications with Judges, Law Officers, and the Government
Departments concerned, so as not only to reproduce the provisions of
several "cross and cuffing" statutes dealing with the subject, but also
to exhibit them in a more logical order than is always to be met with in
Acts of Parliament.

The Bill was thought of sufficient importance to be mentioned on two
occasions in the King's Speech, and has been several times passed, after
careful consideration, by the House of Lords; but pressure of other
business has hitherto impeded its passage through the House of Commons.
It has now been reintroduced, this time in the Lower House, with an
imposing backing of Government support; primarily, no doubt, with a view
to facilitating the ratification of The Hague Convention for the
establishment of an International Prize Court of Appeal. For this
purpose, several pieces of new cloth have been sewn into the old
garment, and I may perhaps be allowed to call attention to three or four
points in which, on a first reading, the new clauses strike one as
needing reconsideratio