Some Questions of International Law, Bebel, who maintained that "such sales ac complish indirectly the reinforcement of the Russian navy," Chancellor von Bülow is re ported to have defended them on the ground that, "according to the principles of Inter national Law hitherto prevailing, the sale of the vessels of a private firm to a foreign State was admissahle." "At any rate, he de clared, "the question was a doubtful one." He admitted that "the principle of neutrality forbids a neutral State from giving direct or indirect support to either belligerent through furnishing ships for war transporta tion purposes." However, "in the case oí the Russian transports, it was not to a State, but to private firms that the vessels were sold. There could not be any question of taking sides against Japan, since she also had full liberty to buy vessels from Germany."1 It has also been charged on the floor of the German Reichstag," as well as in the newspapers, that the German Government has permitted the exportation of a number of torpedo boats and destroyers for the use of the Russian navy. It is charged that, for the purpose of disguising these transactions, "the several parts of the vessels are being ex ported as half-finished manufactures and put together in Libau, Russia, whither, it is re ported, a large number of German workmen have been sent. It is also asserted that these submarine boats were originally built for the German Government which refused to take them because the terms of the contract (i.e.. the stipulations as to time limit), under which they were built had not been strictly observed. It appears, however, that Germany is not the only country in which Russian agents have been busy in making and soliciting con tracts for the purchase or construction of vessels for the Russian navy or for the use of 'For reports of these somewhat puzzling utter ances, see N. Y. Times and Chicago Tribune for Apr. 15. 1904.
- Bv Herr Bernstein, the anti-Bebel Socialistic
leader. See. e.g.. X. Y. Timct for May 5th. and editorials in X. Y. Tribune for May i-jth and Hart ford Courant for May 5th.
539
Russia in the present war, but that Russian agents have also been busy in other coun tries, and that the Japanese have also been active in a similar direction. Germany ap pears, however, to be the only State in which such acts have been defended, if not encour aged, by the official or responsible head of the Government. It is reported that Russia has ordered five armored cruisers to be built at Trieste.3 where Japan was said to be busy negotiating for the purchase of a number of vessels at an earlier period * of the war. Russia is also said to have purchased a number of fast cargo vessels in England. These, it is sup posed, are to be altered so as to enable them to be used as transports.5 It is also stated that several new battleships had been or dered by Japan in England prior to the be ginning of the war, and that these are now being built." The Russian and Japanese Governments are said to be competing sharply for the purchase of transports in Holland and Belgium,7 and we have heard repeated rumors to the effect that agents of both the Russian and Japanese Governments have been negotiating for the purchase of cruisers of several South American States, more particularly with the Government of the Argentine Republic." It has also been vaguely rumored that Turkey has been pur chasing ships on Russia's account.9 Nor is this all. It has even been asserted that Japanese (and possibly also Russian) agents have been at work in the United States. It is reported that a contract has. been awarded the Newport News Shipbuild ing Company of Newport News, Va., for the 'Chicago Tribune for June i, 1904. This report has since been contradicted by the Vienna cor respondent of the London Times. 'Ibid, for Apr. 14, 1004. "N. Y. Times for May 28, 1904. "Chicago Record-Herald for Apr. 10, 1904. 'N. Y. Times for May 25, 1904. "See especially H. W. Wilson in London and N. Y. Times for May 26, 1904. It has recently (June zoth) been reported that the negotiations with Argentina have failed. "N. Y. Tintes for June 13. 1904.
