For the action taken by the Institut de Droit International in 1895 and 1896, on the initiative of the present writer, see the _Annuaire de l'Institut_, t. xiv p. 295, t. xv. pp. 145-151, 309, 317; and his _Studies in International Law_, pp. 106-111. See also, at p. 104 of the same work, an opinion given by him to the Chevalier Tindal as to the liability of The Hague to be bombarded. The later growth of opinion has been in accordance with the views maintained by the writer of these letters, and with the _Rapport_ drafted by him for the Institut. The Hague Conference of 1899, though unable to discuss the subject, had registered a _væu_ "that the proposal to regulate the question of the bombardment of ports, towns and villages by a naval force may be referred for examination to a future Conference." See _Parl. Paper, Miscell._ No. 1 (1889), pp. 139, 146, 162, 165, 258, 283. At the Conference of 1907 a Convention, No. ix., was accordingly signed and generally ratified, notably by Germany and Great Britain, Art. 1 of which prohibits "the bombardment by naval forces of ports towns, villages, houses, or buildings which are not defended," Germany, France, Great Britain and Japan dissenting from the second paragraph of this article, which explains that a place is not to be considered to be defended merely because it is protected by submarine contact-mines. Bombardment is, however, permitted, by Art. 2, of places which are, in fact, military or naval bases, and, by Arts. 3 and 4, of places which refuse to comply with reasonable requisitions for food needed by the fleet, though not for refusal of money contributions. The _Acte Final_ of the Conference further registers a _væu_ that "the Powers should, in all cases, apply, as far as possible, to war at sea the principles of the Convention concerning the laws and customs of war on land." (_Parl. Paper, Miscell._ No. 1 (1908), p. 30.) This Convention, No. iv. of 1907, in Art. 25 of the _Règlement_ annexed to it, lays down that "the attack or bombardment, by whatsoever means, of towns, villages, habitations, or buildings which are not defended is prohibited."