Rock Island Argus., 1899-07-06
We GAIN OUR POINT.
Exemption of Private Property at
Sea from Seizure Takes
Front Position.
UNANIMOUS VOTE AT THE HAGUE

Tn Favor of Having the Question Dealt
with at a Special Conference To Be Held
Hereafter Uncle Sans Delegates
Achieve Important success in OBJ
tanning a Hearing-OutIine of AMBUSH
dor Whites Argument the subject.
The Hague, July 6.-The American
delegates scored a great success yes
terday in obtaining from the peace con-
ference a unanimous vote in favor of
having the question of private prop
srty at sea in time of war dealt with
at a special conference to be sum-
noned hereafter. The second commit
tee met yesterday morning and An
drew d. White, head of the American
delegation, broached the subject. The
question of its admissibility under the
conference mandate was discussed. No
vote was taken, but an agreement was
arrived at to allow the Americans to
present their case in full in the after
noon. At the afternoon sitting of the
committee the successive clauses of
the laws of war having been adopted,
NJ. de Mertens, of the Russian delega-
ton moved, and White seconded, a
resolution recognizing the Importance
and compleXity of the question and
recommending the summoning of a
special conference.
White Advocates the Scheme.
In the course of clear and eloquent
statement of the American case White
frankly admitted the difficulties in
volved in deciding what constituted
contraband of war, but insisted that
these supplied one of the best argu-
ments for full and prompt discussion.
The suffering and losses which seiz-
ures entailed were immense, while the
effect upon the ultimate results of war
was almost nothing. Referring to the
experience of the United States in the
war of the rebellion he said that only
three Confederate cruisers did any
thing of Importance, but they captured
169 vessels, quadrupled the rate of in
surance between America and Great
Britain and caused the transfer of a
half million tons of American shipping
to British bottoms. The final result
was that the whole American marine
was virtually swept out of existence.
Would BE Much Worse Now.
"If that resulted from the operations
of three poorly equipped little steam
ers," he continued, what would hap
pen with the means at the disposal of
the greater nations today? Yet every
one knows that this privateering had
not the slightest effect in ending, or
even in shortening, the war; nor would
it have had any, even if the losses had
been ten times greater. The only real
effect is gained by warshipS in main
tanning a blockade. Nowadays the
transfer of goods by land is so gener-
al that interruption by sea as a rule
does nothing to promote the ending of
war; but that interruption may destroy
accumulations of human wealth and
skill requiring a generation to make
good. while the losses cannot be con-
fined to belligerents alone, but must
affect more or less directly the whole
world"
British Opinion Is Divided.
Sir Julian Pauncefote, head of the
British delegation, said that British
opinion was divided on the subject, and
that he had no instructions regarding
IL. In his personal opinion the ques-
ton was outside the scope of the con-
ference. NJ. Bourgeois, head of the
French delegation, and Captain
Scheme. of the Russian delegation, an
nounced that in the absence of in
structions they would not vote. The
resolution was then put and carried
without opposition, but with reserva-
tions on the part of Great Britain,
France and Russia. The plenary con-
ference assembled subsequently and
accepted all the recommendations of
the committee.
MIST RE MADE AT WHEEIING