WRIGHT— POWER TO MEET RESPONSIBILITIES. 273 



jurisdiction by treaty, is authorized to try resident American citizens 

 for felonies or insurrection against the government of such states. ^^ 

 An act of April 22, 1898, amended on jMarch 14, 1912, provided for 

 the embargo of arms and munitions to American countries pro- 

 claimed by the President to be in a "condition of domestic vio- 

 lence " and for criminal punishment of persons violating such em- 

 bargo.^^ As has been noticed the neutrality laws have been utilized 

 to prevent the giving of aid to insurgents against friendly govern- 

 ments.-'' 



By the espionage act of June 15, 1917, conspiracy to destroy 

 specific property in foreign territory is made punishable, as is having 

 in possession property for use in aid of foreign governments " as 

 a means of violating any of the . . . obligations of the United 

 States under any treaty or the law of nations." ^° 



117. Offenses Relating to International Boundaries. 



There appears to be a special responsibility to prevent acts near 

 a frontier likely to injure the adjacent state, such as interference 

 with running water, bounding or flowing into it, or the toleration of 

 marauders, conspirators, or insurgents with designs on adjacent 

 territory. ^^ By an act of 1902 Congress recommended an interna- 

 tional commission to consider the use of Canadian boundary waters 

 and by act of 1906, provided that such waters should only be di- 

 verted on permits issued by the Secretary of War and that persons 

 violating this provision should be subject to criminal punishment. ^^ 

 By a treaty with Great Britain of 1909 (Art. VII), similar require- 

 ments are made and their supervision put in charge of an interna- 

 tional joint commission. A convention of 1889 with Mexico sev- 

 eral times renewed, provided a commission for adjusting RSo 

 Grande boundary difficulties and a convention of 1906 provided 

 for the distribution of Rio Grande water for irrigation purposes. ^^ 



2" Rev. Stat, sees. 4090, 4102 ; Comp. Stat. 7040, 7647 ; Moore, Digest, 

 1 : 613-616. 



2830 Stat. 739; 2,7 Stat. 630; Comp. Stat. 7(i77-7(>7^- 



29 Supra, note 24. 



30 40 Stat. 226, sec. 5 ; 230, sec. 22. 



31 Moore, Digest, 2: 481. 



32 32 Stat. 373 ; 34 Stat. 627 ; Comp. Stat., sees. 9984, 9989, a-c. 



33 Moore, Digest, 2: 434-445. 



