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 latter should proclaim, after a fair and complete conquest of the hostile country or district, that it is resolved to keep the country, district, or place permanently as its own and make it a portion of its own country.

As a general rule, the property belonging to churches, to hospitals, or other establishments of an exclusively charitable character, to establish­ments of education, or foundations for the promo­tion of knowledge, whether public schools, univer­sities, academies of learning or observatories, museums of the fine arts, or of a scientific charac­ter—such property is not to be considered public property in the sense of paragraph 31; but it may be taxed or used when the public service may require it.

Classical works of art, libraries, scientific collec­tions, or precious instruments, such as astronomical telescopes, as well as hospitals, must be secured against all avoidable injury, even when they are contained in fortified places whilst besieged or bombarded.

If such works of art, libraries, collections, or instruments belonging to a hostile nation or gov­ernment, can be removed without injury, the ruler of the conquering state or nation may order them to be seized and removed for the benefit of the said nation. The ultimate ownership is to be settled by the ensuing treaty of peace.