(2) A general telegraphic convention was concluded at Paris already on May 17, 1865, and in 1868 an International Telegraph Office[966] was instituted at Berne. In time more and more States joined, and the basis of the Union is now the Convention of St. Petersburg[967] of July 22, 1875, which has been amended several times, the last time at Lisbon on June 11, 1908. That the Union will one day become universal there is no doubt, but as yet, although called "Universal" Telegraphic Union, only about thirty States are members.
[966] See above, § [464], and Fischer "Die Telegraphie und das Völkerrecht" (1876).
[967] See Martens, N.R.G. 2nd Ser. III. p. 614.
(3) Concerning the general treaty of March 14, 1884, for the protection of submarine telegraph cables,[968] see above, § [287].
[968] See Martens, N.R.G. 2nd Ser. XI. p. 281.
(4) A general radio-telegraphic convention[969] was signed by twenty-seven States on November 3, 1906, at Berlin. This Union has an International Office at Berne which is combined with that of the Universal Telegraph Union.
[969] See Martens, N.R.G. 3rd Ser. III. p. 147, and above, § 174, No. 2, and §§ [287]a and [287b], where the literature concerned is also to be found.
Transport and Communication.
§ 583. Two general conventions are in existence in the interest of transport and communication:—
(1) A general convention[970] was concluded on October 14, 1890, at Berne concerning railway transports and freights. The parties—namely, Austria-Hungary, Belgium, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Luxemburg, Russia, and Switzerland—form a Union for this purpose, although the term "Union" is not made use of. The Union possesses an International Office[971] at Berne, which issues the Zeitschrift für den internationalen Eisenbahn transport and the Bulletin des transports internationaux par chemins de fer. Denmark, Roumania, and Sweden acceded to this Union some time after its conclusion.