1871, during the Franco-German War, the denun ciation by Russia of the Black Sea clauses of the Treaty of Paris of 1856 led to the assembling of a conference in London, in order to regularize the situation thus created by a revision of the treaty of 1856, so far as regarded the neutralization of the Black sea, the Straits of the Dardanelles and Bosphorus, and the navi gation of the Danube. The conference, which sat from January to March, and was attended by the representatives of North Ger many, Austria-Hungary, Great Britain, Italy, Russia and Turkey, while revising the treaty in accordance with Russia's wishes, as serted the principle of the inviolability of treaties (see TREATIES).
1883 a conference sat in London (Feb. 8-March 1 o) to consider the execution of Arts. 54 and 55 of the Treaty of Berlin of July 13, 1878, concerning the navigation of the Danube (q.v.). It was attended by representatives of all the Powers which had signed the Berlin treaty, and those of the other riverain States (i.e., Serbia and Rumania) which had not signed the treaty were invited to attend, but without a delibera tive voice. Bulgaria, as a vassal state, was represented by the Turkish delegate. Rumania refused to accept these conditions, but the Serbian plenipotentiary attended the sessions.
1885 a conference between the great Powers and Turkey was held in London to deal with the situation arising out of the financial crisis in Egypt. The result was the signature, in Marc, of what is known as the London Convention, the terms of which were embodied in a khedivial decree and, with some modifications, remained for 20 years the organic law governing the administration of the finances of Egypt (q.v.).
In 1887, in response to an invitation issued by the British Gov ernment on July 2, an international conference met in London to deal with the question of sugar bounties. The debates led up to the convention of Aug. 3o, 1888, which was signed by all the representatives except the French. It was, however, never ratified.
1908, at the invitation of the British Government an international naval conference met in London to attempt a settlement of those questions regarding contraband, blockade, etc., which had been raised at the second Hague Con ference. The conference met on Dec. 4, 1908 and continued in session until Feb. 26, 19o9, the outcome of its labours being the Declaration of London. This Declaration was never ratifted. i The Balkans.-In 1912 and 1913 conferences were held in Lon don to arrange terms of peace between Turkey and the Allied Balkan States, Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegro and Serbia. The conference, which was attended by representatives of the belliger ent states, was opened on Dec. 16, 1912, by the British foreign secretary, but was suspended without result on Jan. 6. It met again on May 3o, 1913, the outcome being the Treaty of London signed on the same day. The conference was dissolved on June 9,
and its work was rendered abortive by the outbreak, immediately afterwards, of the second Balkan war.
1921-1922 four conferencesof Allied statesmen were held in London, to adjust matters arising out of the peace treaties which ended the World War. The first met from Feb. 21 to March 14, 1921, and carried on alternately two sets of negotiations, one with the Athens, Constantinople and Angora Governments on the near Eastern question (see TURKEY) , the other with the German Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr. Simons, on the subject of reparations. The result in both cases was failure. The conference was hardly over before the Greeks launched a new offensive against the Turkish Nationalists, while the unacceptable counter-proposals made by Dr. Simons to the demands put forward by the Allies at the Paris Conference of Jan. 24-30 led, early in March, to fresh sanctions being taken against Germany (occupation of Düsseldorf, etc.).
On April 29 the Allied statesmen, after a preliminary meeting at Lympne on the 23rd and 24th, met again in London to decide what was to be done in view of the expected default of
in the matter of the payment of the first installment of repara tions due, under Art. 235 of the Treaty of Versailles, on April 3o. New sanctions against Germany were discussed. But the Repara tions Commission having on April 27 declared an estimate of Ger many's total liability, the Allied statesmen made this the basis of a "schedule of Payments describing the Time and Manner for securing and discharging the entire Obligation of Germany for Reparation under Articles 231, 232 and 233 of the Treaty of Versailles." This document was sent to Berlin on May 5, with an ultimatum, and on the iith the German Government accepted the Allies' terms.
In 1922, owing to the failure of the German Government to carry out the above agreement, the Allied statesmen again met in conference in London, from Aug. 7 to Aug. 14. At this meeting M. Poincare, as conditions precedent to granting Germany a moratorium, put forward proposals for "productive guarantees," which he attempted to carry out after the Franco-Belgian occupa tion of the Ruhr district in 1923. An irreconcilable difference of opinon having arisen as to the effectiveness of such measures, the conference broke up without reaching any decision. The con ference held in London later in the year for the same purpose met with no better result. At this meeting, which lasted from Dec. 9 to Dec. I 1, M. Poincare again put forward his proposal for "productive guarantees." As in this matter, as in other respects, no agreement could be reached between the French and British representatives, the conference was adjourned (see REPARATIONS) .
(W. A. P.)