The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-07-06
At the Peace Conference on the
Rights of Private Pro.
perty at Sea.
WHITES CLEAR STATEMENT
OF the Position of the United
States in the Matter is
Convincing.

| conference to be summoned hereafter
Much diplomatic management was ne
cessary and many obstacles had to be
surmounted before this result was
reached.
The second committee met this morn
ing and Andrew D. White, head Of the
American delegation, broached the sub
feet. 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 vote been taken
Immediately the Americans would
doubtless have carried their point by a
majority of one or two, and to avoid
this u resolution was proposed recognize
ing the Importance and complexity 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 war having been adopted, NJ,
De Mertens, Of the Russian delegation,
moved resolution to that effect. Mr..
White seconded.
Clear and Eloquent Statement.
In the course of a clear and eloquent
statement of the Americans, he said the
United States government had accept
ed the invitation to participate in the
conference with alarclty because Of the
opportunity 1t was expected the confer
ence would AFFORD for preaching the true
faith regarding the immunity from cap
ture OF private property at sea. he ad-
mitted, however. that the United States
government recognized It would be
hopeless to expect and decisive result
from this conference, owing to three
causes, first, because of Instructions
from powerful governments, second,
doubts as to the competence of the con-
ference, 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-
situted contraband of war, but insisted
that these supplied one OF the best argu-
ments for full and prompt discussion.
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 rebel
lion, he said that only three confederate
cruisers did anything Of Importance,
but they captured 1863 vessels, quad
rupled the rate of insurance between
America and Great Britain and caused
the transfer Of half million tons Of
American shipping to British bottoms.
The final result was that the whole Am
erlcan marine was virtually swept out
of existence.
+. III 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 today Yet every one
knows that this prlvateering had not
the slightest effect in ending, or even
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 maintaining a
blockade. Nowadays the transfer OF
goods by land is so general that inter
ruptlon by sea as u rule does nothing to
promote the ending OF war. but that In
terruptIon may destroy accumulatIons
of human wealth and skill requiring a
generation to make good, while the
losses cannot be confined to belllgerents
alone, but must AFFECT more or less di-
rectly the whole world"
A supposition Rcpudiatod.
Mr.. White warmly repudlated the
supposltion that the Americans were
animated by selfish consideration. They
were emlnentiy practical, he said, but
not less pre-eminently devoted to great
ideals. This he illustrated by referrins
to the enormous sacrifices made during
the civil war, and the devotion Of the
Americans to arbitration. But the ques-
tIon he was urging upon the delegates,
he asserted, was one of right, Justice
and progress for the whole world, and
this all Americans felt deeply. Nor
could the acceptance OF the American
proposal Injure any nation. on the con-
trary It would strengthen all.
The head of the American delegation
concluded with an eloquent appeal to
the jurlsts, diplomntlsts and statesmen
OF all nations assembled in the confer
ence to take the subject under careful
consideration, declaring. in the words
of Count Ncsselrode. that the addition
of this principle to international law
would be crown of glory to the worlds
diplomacy"
NJ. Rnhusen. OF the Dutch delegation,
supported Mr.. White. and suggested
that the governments ravorlng the idea
should conclude treatrIes among them
selves
Sir Julian Pauncetotc. head OF the
British delegation, said that British
opinion was divided on the subject and
that he had no instructions regarding