United Kingdom for a period of forty years from the date of the exchange of ratifications of the present Agreement." "Most favoured nation" treatment in Tunis does not comprise treatment enjoyed by France. Article 11. Until December 31st, 1912, and after that date, unless six months' notice of termination is then given by either side, cotton goods, the produce of Great Britain and her possessions, "shall not be subject to import duties higher than 5 per cent. ad valorem at the port of discharge. They shall not be charged with any other tax or impost whatsoever."

TURKEY and GREECE.

Loan (Indemnity)_Convention between United Kingdom, France, Greece, and Russia. The more important of the Articles of the Convention (signed at Paris, March 29th, 1898) guaranteeing the issue of a loan to Greece, for the payment of the Turkish indemnity are as follows:-Article I.-The Hellenic Government may issue, under the guarantee resulting from the present Convention, at an actual rate of interest which shall not exceed 23 per cent., and for a period not exceeding sixty years, a sufficient number of securities to produce an actual maximum sum of 170,000,000 fr., £6,800,000, or 63,750,000 roubles, which shall be applied as provided in Articles 7 and 10 of the Law regarding the Control. The conditions of this loan shall be fixed, by common consent, by the three Guaranteeing Powers and by the Hellenic Government. They shall form the subject of a Regulation, which shall be sanctioned by Royal Decree, issued in the Council of Ministers, under special legislative authority. Article II.-Out of the capital fixed by Article I. there shall be issued immediately the number of securities necessary to produce an actual sum of 150,000,000 fr., £6,000,000, or 56,250,000 roubles. The obligations destined eventually to cover the deficits of 1898 and subsequent years up to a maximum of 20,000,000 fr., shall be issued at intervals, as required by virtue of special legislative authorizations, previously submitted to the approval of the International Commission in conformity with Article 10 of the Law regarding the Control. The right of issuing these obligations shall not extend beyond the year 1903. Article IV.-The service of the loan shall be secured by means of a fixed annuity, calculated, including the amortization, at 3.60 per cent. of the nominal capital, and furnished by the revenues assigned to the service of the Hellenic Public Debt, in accordance with the provisions of the Law regarding the Control. The amortization shall, however, not begin until the year 1903, and during the first five years the annuity payable by the Hellenic Government shall be 2.50 per cent. of the nominal capital of the loans issued. Article V.-The coupons shall be paid in gold on the 1st April and the 1st

October in each year, at the places which will be hereafter indicated. Article VII.The proceeds of the loan shall be employed by the International Commission under the conditions laid down by Articles 7 and 10 of the Law regarding the Control. Article VIII.-The conditions of the conversion or of the repayment of the floating debt in gold shall be dealt with by a Royal Decree, previously submitted for the approval of the International Commission. The obligations intended to safeguard the banks of issue for the sums in gold which have been borrowed from them by virtue of the laws relating to forced currency, as well as for their other gold advances, shall remain deposited in the Bank of France, which shall not part with them without notice of concurrence on the part of the International Commission. The coupons of these obligations shall be detached and forwarded to the banks of issue. Article IX. -The British, French, and Russian Governments undertake either to guarantee jointly and severally, or to apply to their Parliaments for authority to guarantee jointly and severally the regular service of the annuity fixed by Article IV. Article XI.The Hellenic Government shall have the right, with the assent of the three Guaranteeing Powers, to effect the conversion of the loan at any time from the 1st April, 1918, forwards. It shall be bound to exercise this power at the collective request of the three Guaranteeing Powers who will come to an understanding as to the circumstances under which this request should be addressed to it.

Peace Negotiations and Treaty. Turkey, No. XI., 1897, and Turkey, No. II., 1898.--In consequence of the landing of Greek troops in Crete under Colonel Vassos, and the massing on the frontier of troops which made incursions into Turkish territory, the Porte on April 18th, 1897, sent the Greek Minister his passports. After the superiority of the Turkish forces had been demonstrated, negotiations with a view to mediation were undertaken; but nothing came of them, owing to conditions raised by Austria and Germany-the former Power demanding a written assurance from Greece that any conditions arranged by the Powers would be accepted, and the latter requiring Greek recognition of Cretan autonomy and the withdrawal of Colonel Vassos's force. Upon the capture of Pharsala by the Turks, and the Greek retreat to Domoko the Greek Government made a declaration of willingness to act on the mediation of the Powers, and conceding the points that Crete and Cretan autonomy was no longer to be a matter of concern for Greece, that an indemnity was to be paid by her, and that there should be a rectification of the frontier, if considered necessary by the Powers, all details being left to financial and military commissioners. The position on May 12th, 1897, is defined in the following communication made to the

Porte by the Ambassadors of the six Powers: "The Cabinet of Athens having requested the co-operation of the Great Powers to obtain an armistice, the six Governments have offered their mediation on condition that the Hellenic Government will confide to the Powers the care of Hellenic interests, that they will proceed as soon as possible to evacuate Crete, and that they will recognize the autonomous régime of the island. The Hellenic Government having adhered unreservedly to these conditions, the execution of which has already begun, the Powers have agreed to request the Imperial Government to suspend hostilities with a view of settling the bases of an armistice, and commencing, as soon as possible, the negotiations for the conclusion of a definitive peace. The Ambassadors of the six Powers consequently request his Excellency the Minister for Foreign Affairs to be good enough to submit to the Imperial Government a request for the immediate suspension of hostilities. They appeal to the pacific sentiments of the Government of His Imperial Majesty the Sultan, and they hope that orders may be given without delay to the Commanders of the Ottoman troops to arrest all offensive movements. The Ambassadors place themselves at the disposal of his Excellency the Minister for Foreign Affairs for an examination of the questions which may be involved in the exercise of their mediation." Lord Salisbury instructed our Ambassador that Her Majesty's Government would not be able to take part in any Treaty or arrangement under which Greek communities would be placed under the Sultan's Government. "They do not by this reservation exclude the question of strategic rectification of frontier, but they do exclude any plan for leaving Greek communities conquered in this war as a pledge for the payment of any indemnity." The Porte laid down the following conditions for the suspension of hostilities:-1. The conclusion of an armistice and free communication between the Imperial authorities and the Turkish forces by sea, via Volo and Prevesa, are necessary conditions of the suspension of hostilities. 2. The old frontier line to be restored, Turkey recovering the territory ceded in consequence of the Treaty of Berlin. This cession of territory was, according to the Porte, based on assurances that it would put an end to brigandage, but the very cause of the present war shows that this reasoning was erroneous, and that the cession merely rendered possible more serious attack on the integrity of the Empire. 3. An indemnity of 10,000,000 Turkish liras. 4. A revision of the Treaties between Greece and Turkey in conformity with the general principles of international law. 5. An Extradition Treaty for criminals at common law. On June 4th an armistice was concluded between the belligerents. But the Powers replied to the Porte's conditions to the effect that only a strategical rectification of the frontier would be possible, and that the

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indemnity demanded was beyond the financial resources of Greece. By May 26th the evacuation of Crete by Greece was completed. Meetings between the Ambassadors and Tewfik Pasha (Foreign Minister) having taken place, Lord Salisbury was informed that it would not be possible to induce the Turks to accept less than £T4,000,000 as indemnity. Eventually (July 1) Tewfik Pasha proposed an indemnity of £T5,000,000. The negotiations continued throughout the summer, and the Peace preliminaries were signed on September 18th, providing inter alia for an indemnity of £T4,000,000. A Financial Commission was appointed by the Powers for the hypothecation of Greek revenues for the payment of the indemnity on technical commission for the delimitation of a strategic frontier. The Treaty of Peace was signed at Constantinople on 22nd November (4th December), 1897, and was as follows:Article I- The Turco - Hellenic frontier is rectified in accordance with the line marked on the map, accompanied by a detailed description annexed to the preliminaries of Peace as follows:-The new frontier starts from the Gulf of Salonica, at the mouth of the River Potamoul; it follows that river as far as Pappapouli, then turns to the north-west in the direction of the old frontier, which it joins on the summit of Karagatsia (1,063 feet), leaving Kalyvia and Aigamotika to Greece. It then runs in the direction of Krania and Rapsani, leaving those two villages to Greece. skirts the southern flank of the summits of Analypsis Rapsaniotikos (3,263 feet) and Sopoto (4,072 feet). From the summit of Sopoto it runs in the direction of Nezeros, following nearly the bottom of the slopes on the east of Lake Nezeros, and joins the old line at the convent of Athanasius, to the north of the village of Nezeros. From the convent of Athanasius it runs down in a southerly direction, following the bottom of the slopes on the west of Lake Nezeros until it reaches the stream of Kodrisiotiko; from there it runs to the heights of Kokkinopetra, to the south-east of Godamon. From Kokkinopetra it takes a westerly direction, crosses the valley of Argyropoli, and reaches the spur to the east of Valetziko (3,671 feet) at a distance of about two kilom. from that summit. From that point it follows a line nearly parallel to the old frontier, and about two miles distant, skirting the summit of Menexé and the hill of Melouna as far as a point north of the village of Ligaria. About one kilom. to the west of Ligaria it takes a southerly direction for a distance of about three kilom., then resumes a westerly direction, and joins the old frontier to the north of Kourtsiovali (1,900 feet). From there it skirts the village of Kourtsiovali on the west, and to the south of that village resumes an easterly direction, passing to the north of the summit of Agios-Georgios (2,066 feet); it then skirts the range of Losfaki, following the bottom of the slopes

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of that range to the east, and leaving to Greece the road from Tirnavo to Melouna. It joins the old frontier at the summit (1,200 feet), about three kilom. north-west of Tirnavo. It again leaves the old frontier at Beydeirmeni, on the banks of the River Xerias, skirts on the east the range of Sideropalouki (1,694 feet), and touches the River Salambria one kilom. to the west of Gounitza; from there it runs towards the south, and changes its direction towards the west to the north-east of Koutzokhero, passing about one kilom. to the north of that village. It again crosses the Salambria, and follows the bottom of the slopes on the left bank of the river, turning to the west as far as the summit of Babou (2,147 feet), which it skirts on the south side; it then turns again towards the north, following the line of the perpendicular heights, leaves the summit of Babou on the east, and continues in a northerly direction to a distance of one kilom. to the south-west of the summit (1,600 feet); it then takes a westerly direction, and follows a line about two kilom. distant from the old frontier, which it joins at the angle formed by it to the north of the Gritzanou. The new line cuts to the west of Elevtherokhorion, the angle of which the point is on the height (1,742 feet). The frontier follows the old line as far as the summit of Gorza (3,196 feet); from there it turns towards the north to the trigonometrical point of Barberi, where it joins the old frontier. It follows that frontier as far as Pikuada, and then runs to the summit of Mitriza (4,418 feet). From Mitriza it follows the old line as far as the summit of Nasadico, situated to the north-west of the village of Kerassia Sinou: from Nasadico it turns towards the west to the summit of the Kutzuru (1,916 feet), where it joins the old line, passing half-way between the village of Kritsotades and the summit (2,555 feet), which it leaves to Turkey. From the summit of Kutzuru it follows the old line as far as the summit of Agios Elias; starting from that point, it runs straight towards the summit of DjumaPsiti, passing to the north of the village of Kerassia. From Djuma-Psiti it follows the old line as far as the summit of Bulgarie; from there it runs almost straight towards the summit of Djumanalta (3,091 feet) to the north-west of Nostrovo, where it joins the old line, which it follows as far as the angle formed by it one kilom. to the southwest of the village of Saghiada. From that angle the new frontier runs south-west towards the summit of Gribovo (4,786 feet), which it skirts on the south; it then turns west, passes 500 mètres to the north of the village of Generalis one kilom. to the north of the summit (4,000 feet), runs along the plateau, at the end of which this summit rises, passes one kilom. to the south of the summit (4,200 feet), then comes straight down towards the south, passing 500 mètres to the west of the village of Malakasi, crosses the Salambria one kilom. to the west of the bridge near the hill (2,180 feet),

passes one kilom. to the east of the summit (3,700 feet), and comes back to the river, running down from the summit of Dokimi to the west of the summit of Kizil-Tepe. It follows the course of that river as far as the summit of Dokimi (6,244 feet), where it joins the old line, and where the rectification of the frontier stops. This delimitation shall be settled on the spot by a Commission composed of Delegates of the two interested Parties and of Military Delegates of the Embassies of the Mediating Powers. The Delimitation Commission shall meet without delay, proceed to the spot, and commence its work at once, and will arrive at its decisions by a majority of the votes of the three Parties concerned. When the line is being settled on the spot, slight strategical modifications may be introduced to the advantage of the Ottoman Empire by agreement between the Delegates of the Sublime Porte and of the Powers. The Definitive Act of Delimitation, with the map annexed to it, which shall be drawn up and signed by the Delimitation Commission, shall be an integral part of the present Treaty. Article II.-Greece shall pay to Turkey a war indemnity of £T4,000,000 in accordance with the conditions laid down in Article II. of the Preliminaries of Peace. Article III.-The evacuation of Thessaly shall be effected in accordance with the conditions laid down in Article VI. of the Peace Preliminaries. It will take place within a month from the moment when the Powers shall have recognized as fulfilled the conditions set forth in the last two paragraphs of Article II. of the Peace Preliminaries, and when the time of the publication of the war indemnity loan shall have been fixed by the International Commission in conformity with the provisions of the financial arrangement mentioned in that Article. The mode of evacuation and of the delivery to the Hellenic authorities of the evacuated places shall be fixed by the Delegates of the two Parties interested, with the co-operation of the Delegates of the Great Powers. Article IV.-The prisoners of war shall be exchanged immediately after the ratification of the present Treaty. Article V.-A full and complete amnesty is granted by both sides to all persons who have been implicated in events which preceded and followed the declaration of war. Article VI.-The subjects of each of the two States, whose position is a regular one in the eyes of the law, may reside and move freely, as in the past, in the territory of the other, each of the High Contracting Parties reserving to itself the right of refusing admission into its territory to any subjects of the other Party who may have been sentenced for a criminal offence, or who may have been the object of a decree of expulsion owing to their antecedents or to breaches of the common law. Previous notice of refusal shall be given to the respective Legations. Article VII.-Mussulmans who are inhabitants or natives of Thessaly, and who, in virtue of Article XIII. of the

Convention of the 24th May, 1881, had acquired or not acquired Greek nationality, are free to emigrate or become domiciled in Turkey. Those who have become Greek naturalized subjects will have the right of adopting Ottoman nationality by making a declaration to that effect to the competent authorities within the space of three years after the exchange of ratifications of the present Act. All these emigrants will, conformably with the said Convention, remain in full and unrestricted enjoyment of their real property situated in Greece, and will continue to administer it. The same advantages will be reciprocally granted to the inhabitants and natives of the territories retroceded to Turkey as a result of the new rectification of the frontier and to all persons at present domiciled in those localities. These same inhabitants or natives of the territories ceded to Turkey, as well as the representatives of the Institutions or Communes situated in those localities who may possess real property in Thessaly, will be free to cross the frontier in order to cultivate it as in the past without let or hindrance. Identical advantages will be accorded to the inhabitants or natives of Thessaly, and to the representatives of Institutions and Communes there who may possess landed property in the territorities retroceded to the Ottoman Empire. Article VIII.-In execution of Article IV. of the Peace Preliminaries, Greece shall pay Turkey for the indemnification of private persons for losses caused by the Greek forces the sum of £T100,000. The payment of this sum will be made simultaneously with the payment of the war indemnity. Article IX.-Without affecting the principle of the immunities and privileges enjoyed by the Greeks before the war on the same footing as the subjects of the other States, special arrangements will be concluded between Greece and Turkey in order to avoid the abuse of Consular immunities, to prevent interference with the regular course of justice, to assure the execution of sentences passed, and to safeguard the interests of Ottoman subjects and foreigners in their differences with Greek subjects, these differences including cases of bankruptcy. Pending the conclusion and the execution of the Convention provided for in Article V. (paragraph b) of the Peace Preliminaries, the Hellenic Consuls in Turkey and the Ottoman Consuls in Greece will exercise their administrative functions on the same bases as before the war. As regards suits between Hellenic subjects and Ottoman subjects, such matters as came before the Tribunals at a date anterior to the declaration of war will continue to be dealt with in Turkey conformably to the régime in force before the war. Matters which have arisen after the declaration of war will be treated in conformity with the principles of European law, on the basis of the Turco-Servian Convention of the 26th February (9th March), 1896. Article X.

The stipulations of the Convention of the 24th May, 1881, for the cession of Thessaly are maintained, with the exception of those modified by the present Act. The Sublime Porte reserves to itself the right of submitting its proposals for the settlement of the questions arising from the said Conventions to the Powers who are the Signatories to it, and whose decisions must be accepted by Greece. Article XI.-The two High Contracting Parties agree to conclude, within three months of the ratification of the present Treaty, the following arrangements:-(a.) A Convention regulating the questions of contested nationalities on the basis of the draft negotiated in 1876 between Greece and Turkey; (b.) A Consular Convention on the conditions set forth in the first paragraph of Article IX. (Article III. of the Peace Preliminaries); (c.) An Extradition Treaty for the reciprocal rendition of offenders against the common law; and (d.) A Convention for the repression of brigandage on the common frontier. The two Parties reserve to themselves the right of concluding subsequently a Treaty of Commerce and Navigation. Pending the conclusion of this last-named Treaty, freedom of commerce and navigation is reestablished in a reciprocal manner. Article XII.-The postal relations between Greece and the Ottoman Empire, which have been interrupted for some years, shall be reestablished, in conformity with the general agreements regulating the matter, as soon as the Postal Administrations of the two countries shall have concluded a special Convention on the subject. Meanwhile, the two Postal Administrations may exchange directly, in places which they will select for the purpose, their mail-bags and post parcels duly sealed and transmitted by land and sea to destinations in the two countries or for transit. Article XIII.The Telegraph Administrations of the two countries shall take the necessary measures for the restoration of communication between their respective systems in such a manner as to ensure a rapid and uninterrupted exchange of telegrams. Article XIV. -With a view to assuring the maintenance of good neighbourly relations between the two States, the Governments of Greece and Turkey undertake not to tolerate in their territory any proceedings of a nature to disturb security or order in the neighbouring State. Article XV.-In the event of differences in the course of the negotiations between Greece and Turkey the disputed points may be submitted by one or the other of the interested Parties to the arbitration of the Representatives of the Great Powers in Constantinople, whose decisions will be binding upon the two Governments. This arbitration may be exercised collectively or by special designation on the part of the interested Parties, either directly or through the medium of special Delegates. In the event of an equal division of votes the Arbitrators will choose an additional Arbitrator.

USURY (Committee on). (See MONEYLENDING.)

VALLEY OF UPPER NILE. (See EGYPT.)

WEI-HAI-WEI (Lease to England). (See CHINA.)

WEST AFRICAN CONVENTION. (See AFRICA: NIGER.)

WESTERN PACIFIC.

Declaration of Berlin, April 6th, 1886, relating to the Demarcation of the British and German Spheres of Influence in the Western Pacific.-After giving a Conventional meaning to the expression "Western Pacific," and defining a Conventional line of Demarcation starting from the north east coast of New Guinea, the Declaration sets forth the following engagements:-3. Germany engages not to make acquisitions of territory, accept Protectorates, or interfere with the extension of British influence, and to give up any acquisitions of territory or Protectorates already established in that part of the Western Pacific lying to the east, southeast, or south of the said Conventional line. 4. Great Britain engages not to make acquisitions of territory, accept Protectorates, or interfere with the extension of German influence, and to give up any acquisitions of territory or Protectorates already established in that part of the Western Pacific lying to the west, north-west, or north of the said Conventional line. 6. This Declaration does not apply to the Navigator Islands (Samoa), which are affected by Treaties with Great Britain, Germany, and the United States; nor to the Friendly Islands (Tonga), which are affected by Treaties with Great Britain and Germany; nor to the Island of Niué (Savage Island), which groups of islands shall continue to form a neutral region; nor to any islands or places in the Western Pacific which are now under the sovereignty or protection of any other civilized Power than Great Britain or Germany."

WEST INDIA ROYAL COMMISSION.

Report, with Subsidiary Report by Dr. Morris, D.Sc., C.M.G.-The Commission was appointed on December 22nd, in consequence of representations from the West India Colonies and from British Guiana that the cultivation and production of sugar was being abandoned, and the general prosperity of the Colonies destroyed, mainly by the competition of sugar produced under a system of bounties adopted in some European countries. The Commissioners were General Sir Henry Wylie Norman, G.C.B., G.C.M.G., C.I.E.; Sir Edward Grey,

Bart.; and Sir David Barbour, K.C.S.I. Dr. Morris, then of Kew, was attached to the Commission, as expert adviser on the question of industries likely to take the place of sugar-growing, and Mr. Sydney Olivier, B.A., was Secretary. The Commission sat in London the first week in January, and took evidence from selected witnesses. On January 13th they embarked at Southampton, reaching Georgetown, British New Guiana, on the 27th. They afterwards visited successively Grenada, St. Vincent, Barbados, Trinidad, Tobago, St. Lucia, Dominica, Montserrat, Antigua, St. Kitts-Nevis, and Jamaica, making inquiries in each Colony, They left Jamaica on May 1st, returning to England via New York, whither they went to investigate, informally, the facts as to trade between North America and the British West Indies. Part I. of the Report deals with the Economic Condition of the West Indian Colonies. While declaring that, owing to the nature of the soil and climate, there is no likelihood of permanent deficiency in the food of the labouring classes, only by means of the export trade can prosperity be maintained such as will yield a revenue sufficient to meet the cost of civilized Government. They point out that the Colonies may, as a whole, be described as eminently suited for the growth of special tropical products, such as sugar-cane, cocoa, coffee, logwood, nutmegs and fruit. Cattle and horses could be reared on some of the islands, but this occupation could only be of local importance. Extensive savannahs in British Guiana could not be utilised for this purpose until means of access from the coast are provided. There is no prospect of manufacturing industries being established on a considerable scale. Nor is there mineral wealth except the asphalte industry of Trinidad, and the production of alluvial gold in British Guiana-" already of considerable importance "-operations being also carried on "for the extract of gold from the quartz reefs." The extent to which the Colonies are dependent on the cultivation of sugar-cane is shown by a tabular statement. The percentages of sugarcane products in total exports were follows:-British Guiana, 70 (or excluding gold, 94); Jamaica, 18; Trinidad, 57; Tobago, 35; Barbados, 97; St. Lucia, 74; Antigua, 94; St. Kitts-Nevis, 961; Montserrat, 62. The total for all the Colonies is 53 per cent. Excluding Jamaica and gold from British Guiana, the total is 75 per cent. The Commissioners say: "The total value of the sugar products exported was about three and a quarter million pounds sterling, the value of the sugar being some £2,790,000, of the rum £265,000, and of the molasses £195,000. It will be seen that in most of Your Majesty's possessions in the West Indies, the products of the sugar-cane, though they are now valued at prices which are much below those which prevailed a few years ago, still form by far the larger

as