Pacific Blockade

A means of coercion short of war, usually adopted by the joint action of several nations. An instance of it occurred when Great Britain and Germany united to prevent the slave tratiic and stop the importation of arms on the east coast of Africa; Snow, Int. Law 70. In 1827 Greece was blockaded by France, Russia, and Great Britain; in ISoO the Greek ports wcie blockaded by Great Britain, and again in 1S.V> by the combined beets of the five Great Powers. In the blockade of Mexico by France in 1838, neutral vessels as well as Mexican were both seized and condemned. In other cases both classes of ships were seized, but were restored without compensation at the termination of conflict. In the blockades of Greece in 187)0 and 1880, only Greek vessels were sequestrated. In 1887 the Institute of International Law unanimously declared in fa\or of the legality of pacific blockade, subject to these conditions: “(1) That the neutral flag can enter freely; (2) that there must, of course, he formal notice and a sufficient force; and (3) that ships of the blockaded country may be sequestrated, but should be restored with their cargoes at the end of the blockade, but without compensation.” See 21 L. Mag. & Rev. 2S5; 2 Oppen. §§ 40-49; Blockade. PACIFICATION (Lat. pax, peace, faccre, to make). The act of making peace between two countries which have been at war; the restoration of public tranquillity.