INTERNATIONAL INCIDENTS

FOR

DISCUSSION

IN CONVERSATION CLASSES

BY

L. OPPENHEIM, M.A., LL.D.

WHEWELL PROFESSOR OF INTERNATIONAL LAW
IN THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
ASSOCIATE OF THE INSTITUTE OF INTERNATIONAL LAW

Cambridge:
at the University Press
1909

Cambridge:
PRINTED BY JOHN CLAY, M.A.
AT THE UNIVERSITY PRESS.

Transcribers' Note: Inconsistent punctuation printed in the originaltext has been retained.

PREFACE

For many years I have pursued the practice of holding conversationclasses following my lectures on international law. The chiefcharacteristic of these classes is the discussion of internationalincidents as they occur in everyday life. I did not formerly possessany collection, but brought before the class such incidents as hadoccurred during the preceding week. Of late I have found it more usefulto preserve a record of some of these incidents and to add to thisnucleus a small number of typical cases from the past as well as someproblem cases, which were invented for the purpose of drawing theattention of the class to certain salient points of international law.

As I was often asked by my students and others to bring out acollection of incidents suitable for discussion, and as the printing ofsuch a little book frees me from the necessity of dictating the casesto my students, I have, although somewhat reluctantly, made up my mindto publish the present collection.

I need hardly emphasise the fact that this collection is not intendedto compete either with Scott's Cases on International Law, selectedfrom decisions of English and American Courts, or with PittCobbett's Leading Cases and Opinions on International Law, bothof which are collections of standard value, but intended for quiteother purposes than my own.

I have spent much thought in the endeavour to class my incidents into anumber of groups, but having found all such efforts at grouping futile,I therefore present them in twenty-five sections, each containing fourcases of a different character. Experience has shewn me that in a classlasting two hours I am able to discuss the four cases contained inthese sections.

I have taken special care not to have two similar cases within the samesection, for although there are no two cases exactly alike in thecollection, there are several possessing certain characteristics incommon. It is one of the tasks of the teacher and the studentsthemselves to group together such of my cases as they may think arerelated to each other by one or more of these traits.

It has been suggested that notes and hints should be appended to eachcase, but the purpose for which the collection is published is betterserved by givin

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