these methods is entirely discretionary, so far as any rule of
International Law is concerned; all efforts to render it
universally and unconditionally obligatory having, perhaps
fortunately, hitherto failed.

It remains to be seen how far the settlement of international
controversies has been facilitated by the establishment of a
"League of Nations" (to which reference is made in the
concluding letters of this chapter), and, in particular, by the
plan for the establishment of a "Permanent Court of
International Justice," formulated by the League, in pursuance
of Art. 14 of the Treaty of Versailles, and submitted to its
members in December, 1920.



THE PETITION TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES

Sir,--It seems that a respectably, though perhaps thoughtlessly signed
petition was on Thursday presented to President McKinley, urging him to
offer his good offices to bring to an end the war now being waged in
South Africa. From the _New York World_ cablegram, it would appear that
the President was requested to take this step "in accordance with Art. 3
of the protocol of the Peace Conference at The Hague." The reference
intended is doubtless to the _Convention pour le règlement pacifique des
conflits internationaux_, prepared at the Conference [of 1899], Art. 3
of which is to the following effect:--

"Les Puissances signataires jugent utile qu'une ou plusieurs
Puissances étrangères au conflit offrent de leur propre