Amos S. Hershey

The Calvo and Drago Doctrines

Among the subjects scheduled for discussion at the third Pan-American conference, which met at Rio de Janeiro during July and August, 1906, was a resolution that the second peace conference at the Hague be requested to consider whether and, if at all, to what extent, the use of force for the collection of public debts is admissible.

The Recent Italian Elections.

Since this is the first time that the great majority of male adults have had the opportunity of exercising the franchise, the recent Italian elections constitute an event of considerable significance, and were watched with much interest in Europe. According to the new electoral law of 1912-13, practically all adult male Italians were given the right to vote at Parliamentary elections. More specifically, this right of suffrage may now be exercised by three classes of citizens: (1) all literate male Italians who are twenty-one years old; (2) illiterates who have reached the age of thirty; (3) all who have served in the Italian army or navy, even though they have not attained the age of twenty-one. Thus the number of possible voters has been increased from less than 3,500,000 to more than 8,500,000-an addition of over 5,000,000 illiterates. According to the previous laws of 1882 and 1895, the right to vote was restricted to literate Italians over twenty-one years of age who had received at least a primary school education or who either paid an annual direct tax of not less than 19 lira 80 centessimi (about

History of International Law Since the Peace of Westphalia

3.95) or certain annual rents ranging from 150 to 500 lira (

Das Wesen des Volkerrechts und die Clausula Rebus sic Stantibus.

30 to

Recognition of New Governments

100). A premium was thus placed upon education which has now been removed; and it is estimated that, under the new law, about 70 per cent of the voters of Italy can neither read nor write. Naturally, the method of voting must be quite simple. The elections were held on Sunday and the polling hours were from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. for those who could not vote earlier. At the opening of the polls, the names of the enrolled electors were called alphabetically, and those answering to the roll-call were permitted to vote in order. (After midday the electors voted as soon as they