GENERAL PROVISIONS. 15 



The jurisdiction of the Permanent Court may. within the conditions 

 laid down in the regulations, be extended to disputes between non- 

 Contracting Powers or between Contracting Powers and non-Con- 

 tracting Powers, if the parties are agreed on recourse to this Tribunal. 



Article XLVIII. 



The Contracting Powers consider it their duty, if a serious dispute 

 threatens to break out between two or more of them, to remind these 

 latter that the Permanent Court is open to them. 



Consequently, they declare that the fact of reminding the parties 

 at variance of the provisions of the present Convention, and the ad- 

 vice given to them, in the highest interests of peace, to have recourse 

 to the Permanent Court, can only be regarded as friendly actions. 



In case of dispute between two Powers, one of them can always 

 address to the International Bureau a note containing a declaration 

 that it would be ready to submit the dispute to arbitration. 



The Bureau must at once inform the other Power of the declaration. 



Article XLIX. 



The Permanent Administrative Council, composed of the Diplo- 

 matic Representatives of the Contracting Powers accredited to The 

 Hague and of the Xetherland Minister for Foreign Affairs, who will 

 act as President, is charged with the direction and control of the 

 International Bureau. 



The Council settles its rules of procedure and all other necessary 

 regulations. 



It decides all questions of administration which may arise with 

 regard to the operations of the Court. 



It has entire control over the appointment, suspension, or dismissal 

 of the officials and employes of the Bureau. 



It fixes the payments and salaries, and controls the general 

 expenditure. 



At meetings duly summoned the presence of nine members is suffi- 

 cient to render valid the discussions of the Council. The decisions 

 are taken by a majority of votes. 



The Council communicates to the Contracting Powers without 

 delay the regulations adopted by it. It furnishes them with an an- 

 nual Report on the labours of the Court, the working of the adminis- 

 tration, anil the expenditure. The Report likewise contains a re- 

 sume of what is important in the documents communicated to the 

 Bureau by the Powers in virtue of Article XLIII, paragraphs 3 

 and 4. 



Ain-icr.K L. 



The expenses of the Bureau shall be borne by the Contracting 

 Powers in the proportion fixed for the International Bureau of the 



Inixcr-al Postal Union. 



The expenses to he charged to the adhering Powers shall be reck- 

 oned from tin- date on which their adhesion conies into force. 



