These rules take effect at once.
[Inclosure.—Translation.]
Rides of neutrality decreed by Royal ordinance
of April 30, 1904.
The King of Sweden and Norway, having agreed to the declaration on
the subject of the principles of maritime law in times of war,
signed at Paris on April 16, 1856, privateers will not be admitted
to the ports nor to the roadsteads of the two kingdoms.
The King, having ratified the convention of July 29, 1899, for the
adaptation to maritime law the principles of the Geneva Convention
of August 22, 1864, it is necessary to announce that article 6 of
said convention declares that merchant vessels, yachts, or small
neutral vessels carrying or receiving wounded, sick, or the
shipwrecked of the belligerents can not be captured on account of
the fact of such transportation, but remain liable to capture only
for violations of neutrality which they may have committed.
The King has decided—
1st. To interdict to war vessels of the belligerents entry to the
territorial waters within the fixed submarine defences, as well as
to the following ports:
(a) In Sweden:
Stockholm, comprising the waters within a line
commencing at Spillersboda, on the Swedish continent, and passing
Furusund, Sandhamn, and Fiversätraö, to Dalarö and another line,
Herrhamra-Landsort-Ledskär;
Karlskrona, within the fixed submarine
defences
Fårösund, the entrance from the north
comprising the waters within a line connecting Vialmsudde with
Hällegrundsudde, and the entrance from the south comprising the
waters within a line Ryssnäs—boundary of Bungeör—Bung-nas; and
Slite, comprising the waters within the true
north and west lines connecting the boundary of Magö with the main
land of the Island of Gottland.
(b) In Norway:
The port of Fredrikshald;
The fjord of Kristiania inside of Bastö;
The fjord of Tönsberg inside of Natholmen and
of the light-houses of Östre Vakerholmen, of Mogerötangen, and of
Vallö;
The port of Kristianssand with the waters
inside of Fredriksholm and of the light-houses of Oxö, of
Grönningen, and of Torsö;
The port of Bergen with its entrances;
(a) Byfjorden inside of Hjelteskjaer-Stangen;
(b) The entrance from the north inside of Herlö-Agnö-Bognö;
The fjord of Trondhjem inside of the
fortifications of Agdenes; and
The port of Vardö.
2nd. To accord to war vessels of belligerent powers entrance to the
other ports of Sweden and Norway.
They must, however, conform with the following rules:
They are forbidden to obtain any supplies except stores, provisions,
and means for repairs necessary for the subsistence of the crew or
for the security of navigation. In regard to coal, they can only
purchase the necessary quantity to reach the nearest nonblockaded
national port, or, with the consent of the authorities of the King,
a neutral destination. Without special permission
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the same vessel will not be permitted to
again purchase coal in a port or roadstead of Sweden or Norway
within three months after the last purchase.
They will be permitted to make urgent repairs for the security of
navigation, but they are forbidden to undertake work for the purpose
of strengthening their military power.
They can remain there only 24 hours unless the state of the sea, the
want of provisions, or the damages to the vessel require a longer
stay. In this case they must leave the port as soon as possible
after removal of the cause of its detention.
The sanitary and police regulations which the circumstances would or
might render necessary must be observed and respected.
It is well understood that neither of the belligerents is permitted
to do any hostile act in the ports or waters of Sweden or Norway nor
to make them a base of maritime operation against the other, nor to
use them to facilitate or to increase or to renew its military
forces.
It is likewise forbidden to any war vessel of one of the belligerent
parties to leave the port, haven, or bay of Sweden and Norway from
which any vessel of the other belligerent party (war vessel or
merchant vessel) has left, before the expiration of not less than 24
hours after the departure of the latter vessel.
3rd. To forbid entrance into the ports and roadstead of Sweden and
Norway, except in case of distress, of prizes as well as their
condemnation or sale therein.
4th. To forbid the belligerent powers to establish coal depots on
Swedish or Norwegian soil.
