Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-05-09
England and America for Interna-
tional Arbitration.
TO STAND TOGETHER At THE HAGUE
Our Delegates Not Very Sanguine
of Success
TO MITIGATE HOR RORS 5

The United States and Great Britain will
stand together in the advocacy of the
adoption of a scheme for the settlement of
international disputes by arbitration which
will be presented to the disarmament con-
ference at its meeting in The Hague IeXt
week The American dele gates, headed by
Ambassador White, are equipped with d
fairly well-digested plan for the execution
of this long g-cherished project, and the Brit
ish delegates prepared with a plan
which is almost identical with the Ameri-
can project. The details cannot he pro-
cured for publication in advance Of the pre-
sentation of the projects TO the conference.
1t is known, however, that there is al es-
sential difference between tnis lrtes- plan
and that embodied in the treaty drafted by
Secretary Oiney and Sir Julian Pauncefote,
which failed of action III the Senate when
submitted for ratification. The differences
are in the methods provided for securing an
impartial adjudication rather than in the
principles of the former convention, and 1t
is believed that on these points the british
and American propositions are not pre-
cisely similar.
Not Sansuine of Success.
1t cannot be said that the American dele
gates so to the conference with any strong
expectations that their own scheme for Sc
curing adjusting disputes by arbitration,
or, indeed, any project of the kind, will Sc
cure the adhesion Of the entire conference,
or even a majority of the delegates. Eut
trey are content to plant the seed and
make a beginning which, it is hoped by the
President and Secretary Hay, viii in the
end have substantial results.
The American delegates go committed to
this arbitration project much more strongly
than to anything likely q figure before the
conference. Even the great project which
gives the conference its name-universal
disarmament-is of less concern to the
American delegates than the arbitration
proposal. On this point of disarmament
their instructions are simple.
Our Position on Disarmament.
They viii simply tell the conference that
the present armament of the United States
and any within the possibility of the fu-
ture, is SO far below the present minimum
armaments with which any of the great
powers of Europe are likely to be content.
that there is really 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 dispa from London this
morning, namely, the exemption from seiz-
ure OF individual property and the extern
sion of the Red Cross rules to warlike op-
erations at sea. AS to the former the Pres
ident expressed himself very strongly In
his latest message to Congress- and the del
egates go charged to give practical effect
to these views. As to the Red Cross extern
sion, both the United States and Spain dur
ing the recent war voluntarily agreed to
apply the Red Cross rules at sea.
AmeIiOration of Wars Horrors.
But another point in the instructions
which is not mentioned in the cable dis
patches is that relating to the amcHoration
of the horrors of war and with tbs too
the American delegates are deeply con-
cerned. 1t was because of the Presidents
interest in this subject, much as for any
other reason, that the two technical ex-
pcrts, Captain Mahan. United States navy,
and Capt. CrOzter, United States army,
Were included in the American delegation.
The great changes in modern weapons of
war which have followed the last attempt
of an international conference to treat of
this subject have given the State Depart
ment announcement to hope that some
thlnS IN this di ectiOn can be accomplished