Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1899-05-22
THE PEACE CONFERENCE.

of the Gar and Queen Wilhelmina to
the kilograms sent them, and the ar
engagements for section or committees
of the Conference, a5 heretofore Outlin-
ed, were formally adopted. The Amer
lean members of these committees are:
Observation-Disclosures. White, Ma
han and Crozier.
Laws OF War-Messrs. White, Newell,
Mahan and Crozier.
Observation-Disclosures. White, Low and
Hollis.
The British members of the arbitra-
ton committee are Messrs. Pauncefote
and Howard.
M. De Staal placed the question of
mediation and arbitration in the fore
front during his speech on Saturday.
The question of the laws OF war, rem.
dering war as humane as possible by
the extension of the regulations already
existing, was then touched upon by
the president, and he relegated the
question of the reduction Of ornaments
TO the third place.
This indication modifies the order in
which the three points were placed in
the circular of the Russian Minister OF
Foreign Affairs, Count Muravietf; but
it has the merit of corresponding more
closely to the views of the delegates,
and mediation and arbitration will have
the chief place in the work of the con.
ference.
Further, the opinion is unanimous
that the American and British delegates
will take the most important part in the
study of this question.
TIE committees will meet for the first
time on Tuesday.
The eight points enumerated in Count
Muravieh's circular for their considera-
ton have been distributed among the
committeeman.
First-The limitation OF expenditure.
Second-The prohibition of new fire.
arms.
Third-The limitation of the use OF
explosives.
Fourth--Prohibton of the use ofsub.
marine boats.
Fifth-The application of the Geneva
Convention to naval warfare.
Sixth-The naturalization of vessels
in an engagement while engaged in saw
ing shipwrecked men during and after
naval engagements.
Saventh-The revision of the Decla-
ration of Brussels of 1874, on the mott
fications and customs OF war.
Observation-Disclosures and mediation,
the most important point embraced in
Count Muraviefl's circular.
The other important news OF the day
is brusque, and even peremptory, dec
laration on behalf of Russia that she
will refuse to discuss the question of
private property rights at sea in time OF
war.
This announcement'which 10 ideally
made, revived ten-fold the susp. .;ions as
TO Russia's bona fides in the peace
movement.
The motives Of this refusal are almost
obvious. 1t means that Russia, with a
strong navy and a small mercantile ma.
riDe, refuses to respect the property
rights OF the mercantile shipping of her
possible antagonists, sucn as Great
Britain and Germany.
Some of the delegates, after Satur-
days session, did not hesitate to say
that this attitude on the part OF Russia,
if persisted in, would leave nothing to
hope for from the labors of the confer
ence.
Sir Julian Pauncefote gave q dinner
Saturday evening to some of the dele
gates.
While the Gar is zealously promot-
ing international peace, he is threaten
ed with serious troubles in his own vast
dominons, where middle-cless discon-
tent is rife and famine faces his peas
ants. Imagine seven great provinces,
together larger than France, suffering
ali the agonies of starvation and pesti-
lence.
In the eastern provinces on the Vol
ca 5000. 900 of people are without food
out OF total of Il, 900, 600.
The Russian government is only be-
ginning to learn that famine can only
be fought by the governments as they
are in India. There is food enough in
Russia; but The peasants in the famine
districts are pennileas. 1t is not too
much to say that every - subscribed
by charitable people or supplied by the
government, saves human life.
a dispatch from the Hague, dated
Sunday. says that M. De Staal has just
received final instructions from the
Gar. These deal with the realization
of compulsory arbitration, whether by |
a supreme tribunal of several OF the !
great powers or private tribunal com
posed by the powers. whose interests
are at stake, with the subsequent
friendly mediation of third power.