The decisions of regular tribunals composed of impartial persons who inspire respect will gradually form a body of customary law, and be precedents guiding action in the future.

The attempt of Germany to override not only precedents but also express agreements with regard to the conduct of war, if it fails, does not discredit the value of such attempts as were made at The Hague to embody in definite form the international law on the subjects with which they endeavoured to deal.

A careful revision of the provisions agreed to at The Hague in light of subsequent knowledge is desirable.

They only become a dead letter if one nation utterly disregards them and does so without incurring a penalty in some form.
13 .-- It is not desirable to attempt to go into exact detail in all the arrangements so made.

For example, the attempt to enumerate a list of articles which are to be deemed contraband, as was tried in the Declaration of London, has led to preposterous results.