§ 51. Brigadier-General CROFTasked the Prime Minister if he will state under which of the Hague Conventions, and under which article, does the United States base its claim to German shipping which took refuge in the United States ports as a result of British sea-power?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI regret that I am not in a position to make any statement on this subject at present.
§ Brigadier-General CROFTCan he say when the House will be informed?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI do not think it will be possible to make a statement on an isolated part of the Treaty until we are in a position to discuss the whole.
§ Brigadier-General CROFTMay I not ask what is the international law on this question and whether any case has ever previously occurred of shipping driven by the fleet of one Power into a port of another Power being interned?
§ Mr. BONAR LAWI am not an authority on international law, but I believe it is the fact that in the case where a country goes to war and has ships of the enemy in her ports the custom of international law has been that they have a right to claim them.