Declaration signed at St. Petersburg November 25, 1904, for reference of North Sea incident to International Commission of Inquirya
a. See also under Russia, page 796.
Article I.
The international commission of inquiry shall be composed of five members (commissioners), of whom two shall be officers of high rank in the British and imperial Russian navies, respectively. The Governments of France and the United States of America shall each be requested to select one of their naval officers of high rank as a member of the commission. The fifth member shall be chosen by agreement between the four members above mentioned.
In the event of no agreement being arrived at between the four commissioners as to the selection of the fifth member of the commission, His Imperial and Royal Majesty the Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, will be invited to select him.
Each of the two high contracting parties shall likewise appoint a legal assessor to advise the commissioners and an agent officially empowered to take part in the labors of the commission.
Article II.
The commission shall inquire into and report on all the circumstances relative to the North Sea incident, and particularly on the question as to where the responsibility lies, and the degree of blame attaching to the subjects of the two high contracting parties or to the subjects of other countries in the event of their responsibility being established by the inquiry.