One may, however, be pardoned for sharing, with reference to this transaction, the scruples which were felt at Rome as to allowing the grant of a usufruct to a corporation--"periculum enim esse videbatur, ne perpetuus fieret." I am, Sir, your obedient servant, T.E.HOLLAND.
Oxford, March 30 (1898).
P.S .-- It would seem from M.Lehr's _Elements du droit civil Russe_ that "usufruct" is almost unknown to the law of Russia, though a restricted form of it figures in the code of the Baltic provinces.
It is certain that, apart from general conventions, international law imposes no liability on an invader to pay for requisitioned property or services, or to honour any receipts which he may have given for them.
The Hague Convention of 1899 made no change in this respect.
Arts.

51 and 52 of the _Reglement_ annexed to the Convention direct, it is true, that receipts should be given for contributions ("un recu sera delivre aux contribuables") also for requisitions in kind, if not paid for ("elles seront constatees par des recus"), but these receipts were to be merely evidence that money or goods have been taken, and it was left an open question, by whom, if at all, compensation was to be made or the losses thus established.
The _Reglement_ of 1907 is more liberal than that of 1899 with reference to requisitioned property (though not with reference to contributions).

By the new Art.

52, "supplies furnished in kind shall be paid for, so far as possible, on the spot.

If not, they shall be vouched for (_constatees_) by receipts, and payment of the sums due shall be made as soon as may be." The Hague Convention mentioned in the following letter is, of course, that of 1899.
REQUISITIONS IN WARFARE Sir,--A few words of explanation may not be out of place with reference to a topic touched upon last night in the House of Commons--viz.