'The reasons f or terminating the Treaty 'of Extradition between
Great Britain and France haver been -published in the form of a 'despatch from M. Drouyn -de Lbuys to:the French. Ambassador in London, the Prince de la Tour d'Anvergne. The French Minister, -writing on 29th November, orders the stipulated six months' notice to be given, -because the British Government 'will not surrender condemned persons but only those accused andbecause the Eng- lish system involves "the adjudication of the case in some sort in England." Extradition, he says, "is at bottom only a law of in- ternational procedure Land competence," ,and " the contracting States should not demand reciprocally other proofs than those indispensable to- verify whether the proceeding is serious, directed by a competent judge, and occasioned hy conunon crimes." This looks all right, but it is difficult to avoid suspecting that the French Government wants to get rid not only of the form, but of part of the substance of the English procedure. We may trust the French 'courts on every *point but one, but -the one indis- pensable precaution is that evidence must . be given sufficient to prove that the claim made has lo connection with politics. With less than this it is impossible to be content, and Parliament will trarcely be willing to go even- thus far. After.all, almost the only criminals to 'whom the treaty applies are the-swindlers.
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