Evening star., 1898-12-05

and carry into execution, as n modus vi
| vendi. during the continuance OF hostilities
the additional articles proposed by the in
ternational conference OF Geneva, October
~. 1858. extending the effects OF the ex-
| listing Red Cross convention of 1864 to the
conduct Of naval war. Following the exam
pie set by France and Germany I'm 1870 In
| adopting such modus viyendi. and in view
| OF the accession OF the Cnlted States TO
these additional articles in 1ss2. although
the exchange Of ratihcations thereof stii
remained unefrecied. the Swiss proposal was
promptly and cordially accepted by US, and.
simultaneously. by Spain.
This Government feels a keen satisfaction
| in having thus been enabled To testify its
| adherence to the broadest principles Of hu-
| manty even amidst the clash OF war, and
| il is to be hoped that the extension OF the
! Red Cross compact 20 hestilities by sea as
well as on land may soon become an ac-
| comphshed fact through the general pro-
| mitigation of the additional naval Red
Cross articles by the maritime powers now
| parties to the Convention of 1854
The important question OF the claim OF
Switzerland to the perpetual cantonal al
| legiance of American citizens of Swiss
origin has not made hopeful progress to-
ward a solution. and controversies in this
| regard stiH continue.
The newly accredited envoy OF the United
/ States to the Ottoman Porte carries in
| structions looking to the disposal OF mat
! ters in controversy with Turkey for a num-
| Der of years. He is especially charged t.
| press for just settlement OF our claims
| for indemnity by reason of the destructil IN
| of the property Of American missionaries
resident in that country during the Ar
| menian troubles of 1885. as well as for the
| Rpnfs Of ola II,
| ness.
| He is also instructed to seek an adjust
mcnt of the dispute growing out 4 The
| refusal Of Turkey to recognize the acquired
| citizenship of Ottoman-born persons nat
| uralized in the United States since 1861
| without prior imperial consent; and in tn,
| same general relation ne is directed u en-
deavor to bring about solution ST the
| question which has more or less actit..ly
| existed since 1863 concerning the jurisdic-
| toGal rights Of the United States In mat
ters of criminal procedure and punishment
under Article ~ of the treaty of 1880
This latter difficulty grows out Of verbal
| difference. claimed by Turkey 10 he essen
tial, between the original Turkish text and
| the promulgated translation
After more than two years from the al
pointment OF a consul of this country TO
| Zrzerum, he has received his exequatur.
The arbitral tribunal appointed under the
| treaty of February =, 1897. between Great
| Britain and Venezuela. to determine the
| boundary line between the latter and the
| colony Of British Guiana. is TO convene at
| Paris during the present month. II is a
! source of much qualification TO this Gov
| erumeut To see the friendly resort of arbi-
| tration applied to the settlement of this
| controversy, not alone because of the earn
/ aSf Wa ha. had fr,h hr.r .t,,
Result, but also because the two members
named on behalf OF Venezuela Mr. Chief
/ Justice Fuller and Mr.. Justice Brewer
| chosen from our highest court appro-
| priately testify the continuing interest We
| feel in the definite adjustment Of the ques-
| ton according To the stricJest rules of JUS
| tice. The British members. Lord Herschell
| and Sir Richard Collins are jurists Of no
/ less exalted repute. while the NTH member
| and President of the Tribunal. NJ F. de
| Martens, has earned worldwide reputa-
tion as an authority upon international
| law.
| The claim of Felipe ScandeIa against
| Venezuela for arbitrary expulsion and in
| jury to his business has been adjusted by
| the revocation Of the order of expulsion
| and by the payment of the sum of sis.ee0.
| Bureau of American RepubIics
| I have the satisfaction of being able 10
| state that the Bureau of the American Re-
publlcs, created in 1880 as the organ for
promoting commercial intercourse and fra
| ternal relations among the countries OF the
| Western Hemisphere, has become a more
| efficient instrument OF the wise purposes
of its founders. and is receiving the cordial
| support of the contributing members of the
International Union which are actually
| ,aH I'm ard Of
| A commercial directory. in two volumes
! containing a mass Of statistical matter de-
| scriptive of the industrial and commercial
| interests of the various countries. has been
| printed in English. Spanish, Portuguese,
and French, and monthly bulletin pub
/ fshed in these four languages and disirib-
| uted in the Latin-American countries as
! well as in the United States. has proved to
be valuable medium for dissemina ting in
| formation and furthering the varied inter-
| ests of the International Union.
| During the past year the important work
! Of collecting information OF practical bene-
! fit to American industries and trade
| through the agency of the diplomatic and
| consular officers has been steadily ad-
| vanced and in order to lay such data be-
| fore the public with the least delay the
! practice begun In January, 1898. of is
suing the commercial reports from day to
| day as they are received by the Depart
| ment of State. 1t is believed that for
| promptitude well fullness of Informal
| tion the service thus supplied to our mer-
| chants and manufacturers will he found to
| show sensible Improvement and to merit
| the liberal support Of Congress.
| The experiences of the last year bring
| forcihy home to US sense of the burdens
| and the waste of war. We desire. in COM
mon with most civilized nations. to reduce
to the lowest possible point the damage
sustained in time Of war by peaceable trade
and commerce. IL is true We may suffer in
such cases less than other communities,
but all nations are damaged more or less
by the state of uneasIness and apprehen-
sion into which an outbreak OF hostiIities
| throws the entire commercial world. 1t
should be our object. therefore, to min
imize, so far as practicable. this inevitable
loss and disturbance. This purpose can
probably best be accomplished by an inter
| national agreement to regard all private
property at sea exempt from capture or
destruction by the forces of heIliPerant