John Fischer Williams K. C., Sir Keywords: External debts | State contracts | International law | Claims | Mots clefs: Dettes étrangères | Contrats d Etat | Droit international | Réclamations | ABSTRACT The study of John Williams deals with the issues related to the States’ external financial obligations, or, in other words, the States’ financial commitments to other States or to nationals of other countries. After a presentation of the two categories of debt, the author focuses on Lord Palmerston’s doctrine, Drago’s doctrine, …