NEW LAW BOOKS.
It is the intention of The Green Bag to have its book reviews written by competent reviewers. The usual custom of magazines is to confine book notices to books sent in for review. At the request of subscribers, however, The Green Bag will be glad to review or notice any recently published laiv book whether received for review or not. ELEMENTS OK INTERNATIONAL LAW. By Henry Wheaton. Fourth English Edition, by /. B. Atlay. London: Stevens and Sons. 1904. (xxxv+848 pp.) Doubtless Wheaton's safe title to immor tality lies in his having been the reporter of the volumes of United States Reports which bear his name. Yet, for the present, he is best known—especially outside the United States—as the author of the Elements of International Lau-, for Wheaton has had the distinction of being one of the very few American lawyers whose treatises have been accepted abroad and have there been kept alive by reëditing. The work originally ap peared in Philadelphia in 1836. In the same year there was a London edition. There was another American edition in 1846. There was an edition in French in 1848, and again in 1853, 1856, and 1868-80. There were two American editions by Lawrence, 1855 and 1863. liiere is said to have been an edition in Chinese in 1864. (See Dana's Wheaton, note 8.) An American edition by Dana appeared in 1866. English editions by Boyd appeared in 1878, 1880, and 1889. The present edition is the successor of the editions by Boyd. It gives Wheaton's text without change. In smaller type there are textual additions, partly by Boyd and partly by the present editor; and these additions, as well as the foot notes and the appendices, bring the book down to date. A few illustrations will serve to indicate how well the editor has performed his task and how interesting is the result at the pres ent time—a time somewhat prolific of inter national questions. Just now this is a pertinent passage: "Since 1899 all persons of whatever national
ity within the confines of Japan have been subject to the Japanese tribunals; as a re turn for this all limitations imposed upon foreigners in respect to trade, travel, and residence, have been removed. In the latter year Japan was invited to The Hague Con ference, and her representatives signed the various conventions there adopted. In the Chinese War of 1894, with the grave exception of the Port Arthur massacre, Japan has striven scrupulously to comply with the highest civilized standards. Her soldiers were equally conspicuous for efficiency and humanity during the military operations which followed the Boxer rising in 1900. To her prompt despatch of a division of 21,000 splendidly-equipped troops, the relief of the Legations may be largely attributed. In 1902 an offensive and defensive treaty of al liance was concluded between Great Britain and Japan. In these circumstances it is im possible to dispute her right to rank among the powers who are, without reservation, subject to international law." (23-24). A few pages beyond one discovers this com ment upon an American topic : "President Cleveland gave a startling illustration of the lengths to which the Monroe Doctrine might be pushed. In his message of Decem ber 17, 1895, he claimed for the United States the right to 'take measures to deter mine with sufficient certainty for its justifi cation what is the true divisional line be tween Venezuela and British Guiana.' " (98.) Another American topic, the recent eleva tion of some of our diplomatic representa tives to the rank of ambassadors, receives the brief attention of which it is worthy. (252-253.) Another American question, the dispute as to the Alaska boundary, receives a useful summary which includes the award of the tribunal on Oct. 20, 1903. (268-269.") Still another American topic, the Panama canal, receives due prominence, the editor closing his account thus: "On November 5, 1903, a revolution on the Isthmus, by which the inhabitants of the adjacent terri tory declared themselves independent of the Colombian Government, resulted in the proclamation of the Republic of Panama,
