dent of the Republic of Salvador; His Majesty the King of Servia; His Majesty the King of Siam; the Swiss Federal Council; His Majesty the Emperor of the Ottomans; the President of the Oriental Republic of Uruguay; the President of the United States of Venezuela:
Inspired by the principle of the freedom of sea routes, the common highway of all nations;
Seeing that, although the existing position of affairs makes it impossible to forbid the employment of automatic submarine contact mines, it is nevertheless desirable to restrict and regulate their employment in order to mitigate the severity of war and to ensure, as far as possible, to peaceful navigation the security to which it is entitled, despite the existence of war;
Until such time as it is found possible to formulate rules on the subject which shall ensure to the interests involved all the guarantees desirable;
Have resolved to conclude a Convention for this purpose, and have appointed the following as their Plenipotentiaries:
His Excellency Baron Marschall von Bieberstein, His Minister of State, His Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary at Constantinople;
Dr. Johannes Kriege, His Envoy on extraordinary mission to the present Conference, His Privy Counselor of Legation and Jurisconsult to the Imperial Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
His Excellency Mr. Joseph H. Choate, Ambassador Extraordinary;
His Excellency Mr. Horace Porter, Ambassador Extraordinary;
His Excellency Mr. Uriah M. Rose, Ambassador Extraordinary;
His Excellency Mr. David Jayne Hill, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at The Hague;
Rear Admiral Charles S. Sperry, Minister Plenipotentiary;
Brigadier General George B. Davis, Judge Advocate General of the United States Army, Minister Plenipotentiary;
Mr. William I. Buchanan, Minister Plenipotentiary.
His Excellency Mr. Roque Saenz Peña, former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary of the Republic at Rome, Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration;
His Excellency Mr. Luis M. Drago, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of the Republic, National Deputy, Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration;
His Excellency Mr. Carlos Rodriguez Larreta, former Minister of Foreign Affairs and Worship of the Republic, Member of the Permanent Court of Arbitration.
