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Rh The Swiss Federal Council: Dr. Arnold Roth, Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary at Berlin.

His Majesty the Emperor of the Ottomans: His Excellency Turkhan Pasha, formerly Minister for Foreign Affairs, Member of His Council of State; Noury Bey, Secretary-General in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

His Royal Highness the Prince of Bulgaria: Dr. Dimitri Stancioff, Diplomatic Agent at St. Petersburg; Major Christo Hessaptchieff, Military Attaché at Belgrade;

Who, after communication of their full powers, found in good and due form, have agreed on the following provisions:

Military hospital ships, that is to say, ships constructed or assigned by States specially and solely for the purpose of assisting the wounded, sick or shipwrecked, and the names of which shall have been communicated to the belligerent Powers at the beginning or during the course of hostilities, and in any case before they are employed, shall be respected and cannot be captured while hostilities last.

These ships, moreover, are not on the same footing as men-of-war as regards their stay in a neutral port.

Hospital ships, equipped wholly or in part at the cost of private individuals or officially recognized relief Societies, shall likewise be respected and exempt from capture, provided the belligerent Power to whom they belong has given them an official commission and has notified their names to the hostile Power at the commencement of or during hostilities, and in any case before they are employed.

These ships should be furnished with a certificate from the competent authorities, declaring that they had been under their control while fitting out and on final departure.

Hospital-ships, equipped wholly or in part at the cost of private individuals or officially recognized Societies of neutral countries, shall be respected and exempt from capture, if the neutral Power to whom they belong has given them an official commission and notified their names to the belligerent powers at the commencement of or during hostilities, and in any case before they are employed.

The ships mentioned in Articles 1, 2, and 3 shall afford relief and assistance to the wounded, sick, and shipwrecked of the belligerents independently of their nationality.