xv INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER, 
certification by agents of the belligerent Powers in the 
neutral ports appears to me to be a more hopeful 
solution.” 
One more matter dealt with in detail by Dr. Colombos 
calls for notice, namely, the procedure in the British 
Prize Courts during the late war.® The traditional 
practice of the Prize Court for more than a century 
precluded alien enemies from appearing in Court, and 
the only change in this matter effected during the late 
war was that, wherever an alien enemy conceived that 
he was entitled to any protection, privilege, or relief 
under any of the Hague Conventions, he could appear 
and argue his case. This denial of audience to an alien 
enemy by our Prize Courts is contrary to the practice 
of all other European States, and Dr. Colombos puts 
forward strong reasons for an alteration of our procedure 
in this respect. But if the British Prize Courts held 
firmly to the precedents of the past in this matter, a 
change in the proceedings was effected by the new 
Rules of Court issued at the beginning of the War 
under the Naval Prize Act, 1894. Formerly the evidence 
to condemn or acquit a ship or cargo had to come from 
the ship’s papers, and proceedings began with a monition. 
Under the new rules proceedings are commenced by the 
issue of a writ, and the captors open the case and support 
it by any evidence in their possession. The Prize Court 
is not restricted by the rules of evidence which obtain 
in other Courts, and the proceedings in the numerous 
contraband cases showed the importance of extraneous 
evidence, such as intercepted cables, letters, and wireless 
7 See my Article on ‘‘ Visit, Search, and Detention ’’ in B. Y. I. L. 
for 1926, p. 43. 
8 Spee post, Chap. X. 
a