Suez Canal Rights
SK—The blocking of the Suez Canal to our tankers has, for months past, been the subject of speeches in and out of both Houses of Parlia- ment and reports and comments in the press, yet, el far as I have seen, the two vital clauses in the Suez Canal Cpnvention have never been given. Is there any reason why the general" public should be kept in ignorance of them ?
The Suez Canal Convntion was signed on October 29th, 1888, by Great Britain, France, Germany, Italy, The Netherlands, Russia, Spain, Turkey, and Austria-Hungary, now no longer a kingdom. The Convention provided : - Article I. The Maritime Canal of Suez shall always be free and open in time of war as in time of j,eace, to every ship of trade or war, and without distinction of flag. In consequence the High Contracting Parties agree to make no attack upon the free usage of the Canal in time of war as in time of peace. The Canal shall never be subjected to the menace of blockade.
Article 1V laid down that no right of war, no act of hostility, nor any act having as its object hindering the free navigation of the Canal can be committed in the Canal or its ports of access.—Yours faithfully, 25 Stanmore Road, Mount Florida, Glasgow, S.2.
FRED C. HARVEY.
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