Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1899-07-06

THE HAGUE, July 5.-The Ameri-
can delegates scored a great success to-
day in obtaining from the peace con-
ference an unanimous vote in favor Of
having the question of private property
at sea in time of war dealt with at a
special conference to be summoned
! hereafter.
Much diplomatic management was
necessary and many obstacles had to be
surmounted before this result was
reached.
The second committee net this morn
ing and Andrew ID. White. head of the
American delegation, preached the sub
ject. The question of its admissibility
under the conference mandate was dis
cussed. No vote was taken, but an
| agreement was arrived at to allow the
Americans TO present their case in full
this afternoon. Had a vote been taken
Immediately the Americans would
doubtless have carried their point by a
majority of one or two, and 20 avoid
this a resolution was proposed reeog-
nizing the Importance and eomplexity
of the question and recommending the
summoning of a special conference.
AT the afternoon sitting of the COM
mittee the successive clauses of the
laws of wal having been adopted, M.
De Mertens, of the Russian delegation.
, moved a resolution to that effect. Mr..
White seconded.
In the course of a clear and eloquent
statement of the American case, he said
the United States government had ac-
cepted the invitation TO participate in
the conference with a~lacrity because of
the opportunity it was expected the
conference would afford for preaching
the true faith regarding the immunity
from capture of private property at sea.
He admitted, however, that the United
States government recognized Ii would
be hopeless to expect any decisive re-
suit from this conference owing TO
three causes, first, absence OF instrue-
tons from powerful governments, sec
ond, doubts as to the competence OF the
conference, and third, the length of
time necessary for a discussion of all
the bearings Of the case.
Mr.. White frankly admitted the diff
culties involved in deciding what con-
stituted contraband of war, but insist
ed that these supplied one of the best
| arguments for a full and prompt dis
%cussion. The suffering and losses which
seizures entailed were immense, while
the effect upon the ultimate result 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
anything of importance, but they cap
tured 169 vessels, q~uadrupled the rate
of insurance between America and
Great Britain and caused the transfer
Of a half million tons of American
shipping to British bottoms. The finai
result was that the whole American
marine was virtually swept out of ok
istence.
IF that resulted from the operations
of three poorly equipped little steam
ers," he continued, what would happen
with the means at the disposal of the
greater nations to-day? Yet every one
knows that this privateering had not
the slightest effect in ending, or even
had any, even If the losses had been
ten times greater. The only real effect
is gained by warships in maintaining
a blockade. Nowadays the transfer OF
goods by land is SO general that inter
ruption by sea as a rule does nothing
to promote the ending of war, but that
interruption may destroy Accommodations
Of human wealth and ski requiring
a generation TO make good, while the
losses cannot be confined TO DelligeT-
ents alone, but must affect more or less
directly the whole world.
Mr.. White warmly repudiated the
supposition that the Americans were
animated by selfish considerations.
They were em%inently practical, he said,
but not less pre-eminently devoted to
| great ideals. This, he illustrated by re-
ferring to the enormous sacrifices made
during the civil war, and the devotion
of the Americans 10 arbitration. But
the question ne was urging upon the
! delegates, he asserted, was one OF right,
justice and progress for the whole
world, and this all Americans felt deep
ly. Nor could the acceptance OF the
American proposal injure any nation.
| On the contrary it would strengthen
all.
The head OF the American delegation
| concluded with an eloquent appeal TO
| the j~urists, diplomatists and statesmen
| of all nations assembled in the confer
| ence to take the subject under careful
| consideration, declaring. in the words
| of Count Nesselrode, that "the addi-
| ton of this principle to International
law would be a crown Of glory TO h
worlds diplomacy"
NJ. Rahusen, OF the Dutch delegation,
| supported Mr.. White, and suggested
| that the governments favoring the idea
| should conclude treaties among Them