Seeing that, although in the existing state of affairs it is impossible to forbid the employment of automatic contact submarine mines, it is nevertheless desirable to restrict and regulate their employment in order to mitigate the severity of war and to ensure, as far as possible, to peaceful navigation the security to which it is entitled, despite the existence of war; Until such time as it is found possible to formulate rules on the subject which shall ensure to the interests involved all the guarantees desirable; Have resolved to conclude a Convention for this purpose, and have appointed the following as their Plenipotentiaries: [List of Plenipotentiaries as in Convention III.1 Who, after having deposited their full powers, found to be in good and due form, have agreed upon the following provisions: ARTICLE 1. It is forbidden: 1. To lay unanchored automatic contact mines, except when they are so constructed as to become harmless one hour at most after those who laid them have lost control of them; 2. To lay anchored automatic contact mines which do not become harmless as soon as they have broken loose from their moorings; 3. To use torpedoes which do not become harmless when they have missed their mark. ARTICLE 2. It is forbidden to lay automatic contact mines off the coast and ports of the enemy, with the sole l'adversaire, dans le seul but d'intercepter la navigation de com merce. ARTICLE 3. Lorsque les mines automatiques de contact amarrées sont employées, toutes les précautions possibles doivent être prises pour la sécurité de la navigation pacifique. Les belligérants s'engagent à pourvoir, dans la mesure du possible, à ce que ces mines deviennent inoffensives après un laps de temps limité, et, dans le cas où elles cesseraient d'être surveillées, à signaler les régions dangereuses, aussitôt que les exigences militaires le permettront, par un avis à la navigation, qui devra être aussi communiqué aux Gouvernements par la voie diplomatique. ARTICLE 4. Toute Puissance neutre qui place des mines automatiques de contact devant ses côtes, doit observer les mêmes règles et prendre les mêmes précautions que celles qui sont imposées aux belligérants. La Puissance neutre doit faire connaître à la navigation, par un avis préalable, les régions où seront mouillées des mines automatiques de contact. Cet avis devra être communiqué d'urgence aux Gouvernements par voie diplomatique. ARTICLE 5. A la fin de la guerre, les Puissances contractantes s'engagent à faire tout ce qui dépend d'elles pour enlever, chacune de son côté, les mines qu'elles ont placées. Quant aux mines automatiques de contact amarrées, que l'un des belligérants aurait posées le long object of intercepting commercial shipping.1 ARTICLE 3. When anchored automatic contact mines are employed, every possible precaution must be taken for the security of peaceful shipping. The belligerents undertake to provide, as far as possible, that these mines shall become harmless within a limited time, and, should they cease to be under surveillance, to notify the danger zones as soon as military exigencies permit, by a notice to mariners, which must also be communicated to the Governments through the diplomatic channel. ARTICLE 4. Any neutral power which lays automatic contact mines off its coasts must observe the same rules and take the same precautions as are imposed on belliger ents. The neutral Power must inform mariners by a notice issued in advance, where automatic contact mines will be laid. This notice must be communicated at once to the Governments through the diplomatic channel. ARTICLE 5. At the close of the war, the Contracting Powers undertake to do their utmost to remove the mines which they have laid, each Power removing its own mines. As regards anchored automatic contact mines laid by one of the belligerents off the coast of the 1 Signed by Germany with reservation as to article 2. Deux. Conf. Int. de la Paix, vol. 1, p. 280. ARTICLE 11. The present Convention shall remain in force for seven years, dating from the sixtieth day after the date of the first deposit of ratifications. Unless denounced, it shall continue in force after the expiration of this period. The denunciation shall be notified in writing to the Netherlands Government, which shall at once communicate a duly certified copy of the notification to all the Powers, informing them of the date on which it was received. The denunciation shall take effect only in regard to the notifying Power, and six months after the notification has reached the Netherlands Government. ARTICLE 12. The Contracting Powers undertake to reopen the question of the employment of automatic contact mines six months before the expiration of the period contemplated in the first paragraph of the preceding Article, in the event of the question not having been already reopened and settled by the Third Peace Conference. If the Contracting Powers conclude a fresh Convention relative to the employment of mines, the present Convention shall cease to be applicable from the moment it comes into force. ARTICLE 13. A register kept by the Netherlands Ministry for Foreign Affairs shall give the date of the deposit of ratifications made in virtue of Article 8, paragraphs 3 and 4, as well as the date on which the notifications of adherence (Article 9, |