As was said long ago, "Ius commerciorum aequum est, at hoc acquius, tuendae salutis." The imperious necessities of self-preservation were recognised both by Lord Morley and by Lord Lansdowne in the debate which took place on May 3, although Lord Lansdowne intimated that "the real question, which will have to be considered sooner or later, is the extent to which a belligerent Power, controlling narrow waters which form a great trade avenue for the commerce of the world, is justified in entirely closing such an avenue in order to facilitate the hostile operations in which the Power finds itself involved." It is, I think, clear that the solution of a question at once so novel and so delicate must be undertaken, not by any one Power, but by the Concert of Europe, or of the civilised world, which must devise some guarantee for the safety of any littoral Power which would be called upon in the general interest to restrict its measures of self-defence.
In the meantime, we may surely say that the case is provided for neither by established international law nor by "European" Treaties; and, further, that the Treaties between Russia and Turkey, which do provide for it, are not such as it is desirable to perpetuate.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant, T.E.HOLLAND.
Oxford, May 22 (1912).
THE CLOSING OF THE DARDANELLES Sir,--I am reminded by Mr.Lucien Wolf's courteous letter that I ought probably to have mentioned, in alluding to the Treaty of San Stefano, that it is doubtful whether Art.

24 of that Treaty is in force.

It was certainly left untouched by the Treaty of Berlin, but the language of the relevant article (3) of the definitive Treaty of Peace of 1879 is somewhat obscure, nor is much light to be gained upon the point from the protocol of the 14th _seance_ of the Congress of Berlin, at which Art.
24 came up for discussion.
The earlier Treaties, however, which were revived beyond question by Art.

10 of the Treaty of 1879, grant to Russian merchant vessels full rights of passage between the Black Sea and the AEgean, exercisable, for all that appears, in time of war as well as of peace, although these Treaties contain no express words to that effect.

Such rights, I would again urge, if enjoyed by one Power, should be enjoyed by all; upon terms to be settled, not by any pair of Powers but by the Powers collectively.
I am, Sir, your obedient servant, T.E.HOLLAND.
Oxford, June 5 (1912).
* * * * * SECTION 3 _In a Special Danger Zone ?_ THE GERMAN THREAT Sir,--It may perhaps be desirable, for the benefit of the general reader, to distinguish clearly between the two topics dealt with in the recent announcement of German naval policy.
1.