The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1899-05-10
AN ARBITRATION SCHEME.
America. Will Have One
To Submit.
lat 'fhe Cars Peace Conference Al
The Hague.
England Also Has a
Similar Plan,
Other Points on Which Dele.
gates Are Instructed.


Washington, May 9.-The United States
and Great Britain will stand together In
the advocacy of the adoption Of a scheme
for the settlement Of iuterna tional dis
putes by arbitration which will he pre-
scented to the department conference at its
meeting in The Hague on May 16. The
American delegates, accompanied by
Ambassador White are equipped with a
fairly we'll digested plan for the execution
of this long cherished project, while the
British delegates are prepared with o
plan which is almost identical with the
American project.
The details cannot be procured for
publication In advance of the presenta-
tion of the projects to the conference. 1t
Is known, however, tina there are essen-
tial differences between this last plan and
that embodied in the treaty drafted by
Secretary Olney and Sir Julian Paunce-
fote, which failed OF action In the Senate
when submitted for ratification. The
differences are rather In the methods pro-
vided for securing IN impartial adjudica-
ton than in the principles Of the formal
convention and 1t is believed that on
those points the British and American
propositions are not precisely similar. 1t
cannot be said that the American dele
gates go to the conference with any
stronger expectation that their own
scheme for securing the adjustment of
disputes by arbitration, or indeed any
project of the kind, will secure the ad-
hssion Of the entire conference or even
majority OF the delegates. But they are
content to make q beginning which 1t is
hoped by the President and Secretary Hay
will in the end have substantial results.
The American delegates go committed
Co this arbitration project much more
strongly than to any thing likely TO figure
before the conference. Regarding dis
armament, their instructions are to tell
the conference that the present armament
of the United States and any within the
possibilities of the future are so far Mellow
the present minimum ornaments with
which any of the treat powers of Europe
are likely to ue content that there Is real
ly no reason why the United States
Should be called into the agreement
Other points upon which the delegates
have been Instructed are correctly referred
to In the cable dispatches this morning.
namely the exemption from seizure of
individual property and the extension OF
the he'd Cross rules to war like operations
at sea. AS to the former, the President
expressed himself very strongly in his
last message to Congress and the dele
gates go charged to give practical effect
to these views. AS to the He'd Cross ex .
tension, both the United States and
spain during the recent war voluntarily
agreed to apply the Red Cross rules at
sea. But another point in the instructions
which Is not mentioned In the cable de-
spatches is that relating to the nmeliora-
zion of the horrors Of war and with this,
too, the American delegates are deeply
concerned 1t was because of the Presi-
dents interest in this subject as much as
En- N n that tha w fach nj.
cal experts, Captain Mahan and Captain
Gtozier, were included in the American
delegation and the state department
hopes that something in this direction
will be accomplished at the approaching
conference.