If this be indeed the Pope's meaning, his aspirations are now less likely than ever to be realised. It is curious to reflect that the proposal actually made by our own Government at The Hague Conference of 1907, apparently under the impression that Great Britain would be always neutral, for protecting the carriage of contraband was most fortunately defeated by the opposition of the other great naval Powers, of which Germany was one. I am, Sir, your obedient servant, T. E. HOLLAND. Oxford, August 16 (1917). * * * * * SECTION 2 _In Other Waters_ THE SUEZ CANAL Sir,--Your correspondent "M.B." has done good service by calling attention to the misleading nature of the often-repeated statement that the Suez Canal has been "neutralised" by the Convention of 1888. Perhaps you will allow me more explicitly to show why, and how far, this statement is misleading. In the first place, this Convention is inoperative. It is so in consequence of the following reservation made by Lord Salisbury in the course of the negotiations which resulted in the signature of the Convention:-- "Les Délégués de la Grande-Bretagne ... pensent qu'il est de leur devoir de formuler une réserve générale quant à l'application de ces dispositions en tant qu'elles ne seraient pas compatibles avec l'état transitoire et exceptionnel où se trouve actuellement l'Egypte, et qu'elles pourraient entraver la liberté d'action de leur Gouvernement pendant la période de l'occupation de l'Egypte par les forces de sa Majesté Britannique." Being thus unaffected by the treaty, the canal retains those characteristics which it possesses, under the common law of nations, as a narrow strait, wholly within the territory of one Power and connecting two open seas. The fact that the strait is artificial may, I think, be dismissed from consideration, for reasons stated by me in the _Fortnightly Review_ for July, 1883. The characteristics of such a strait are unfortunately by no means well ascertained, but may perhaps be summarised as follows. In time of peace, the territorial Power is bound by modern usage to allow "innocent passage," under reasonable conditions as to tolls and the like, not only to the merchant vessels, but also, probably, to the ships of war, of all nations. In time of war, the territorial Power, if belligerent, may of course carry on, and is exposed to, hostilities in the strait as elsewhere, and the entrances to the strait are liable to a blockade. Should the territorial Power be neutral, the strait would be closed to hostilities, though it would probably be open to the "innocent passage" of belligerent ships of war.