I THE EVOLUTION OF THE PRINCIPLE OF INTERNATIONAL WATERWAYS 58838 II A REFERENCE-MANUAL TO THE TREATIES, CONVENTIONS, BY PAUL MORGAN OGILVIE, M.A. Les rivières sont des chemins qui marchent. BLAISE DE PASCAL, PENSÉES UNIV New York THE MACMILLAN COMPANY All rights reserved COPYRIGHT, 1920, BY PAUL MORGAN OGILVIE Set up and electrotyped. Published, February, 1920 CCEANS PREFACE One hundred and four years ago, when the representatives of the diverse nations of Europe, assembled at the Congress of Vienna, were, in conformity with the stipulations of the Treaty of Paris, instituting the principle of the universal navigation of inland waterways, even those entertaining the most sanguine expectations could not have foreseen the decisive part which this innovation was destined to play in the development of transportation during the ensuing century on the waterways even of distant continents. In 1815 the mechanical propulsion of vessels, which constitutes a most vital element in the utilization of the highways of inland waters, had not been sufficiently perfected to disclose its limitless possibilities in the improvement of international communication and the development of the world-wide commercial and industrial activities of the Nineteenth Century. In fulfillment of the aspiration "to facilitate the communication between nations, and continually to render them less strangers to each other," as proclaimed by the Peace of Paris in 1814, the nations of the world, through the adoption of the principle of free navigation, have facilitated international com-merce and have demonstrated what may be attained through ef fective international cooperation. By providing for the international navigation of certain European waterways, in the treaties with Austria, Germany and Poland, the Allied and Associated Powers at the Peace Con-ference at Paris have lately evinced an enlightened apprecia-tion of the benefit to be derived by all nations from securing the most ample facilities of intercommunication. These treaty provisions, which are summarized at the conclusion of the Reference-Manual, will become operative upon the establishment |