The treaties of peace entered into at the conclusion of the World War laid down that steps should be taken to secure and maintain freedom of communications and of transit and equitable treatment for the commerce of all members of the League of Nations. At conferences convened by the League several inter national conventions on these lines were adopted. These included the Maritime Ports convention under which each of the contract ing parties undertook, subject to the principle of reciprocity "to grant the vessels of every other contracting State equality of treatment with its own vessels, or those of any other State what soever, in the maritime ports situated under its sovereignty or authority, as regards freedom of access to the port, the use of the port, and the full enjoyment of the benefits as regards navigation and commercial operations which it affords to vessels, their car goes and passengers. The equality of treatment thus established shall cover facilities of all kinds, such as allocation of berths, loading and unloading facilities; as well as dues and charges of all kinds levied in the name or for the account of the Government, public authorities, concessionaries or undertakings of any kind."
This Maritime Ports convention, however, does not apply to maritime coasting trade. The conference at which the convention was adopted passed a resolution recommending that all States should refrain from inequitable economic measures, such as in particular an abusive extension of the scope of the maritime coasting trade. The representatives of nearly 4o countries took part in this conference and the representatives of the United States attended as observers.