The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-06-26
RUssIA's PROPOSAL.
Text of the Cars Plan to stop In
crease in Navies.


crease in Navies.
LONDON, June 26.-The correspondent
of the Times at The Hague says the fol-
lowing is the text of Russia naval pro-
pesat: s,7J#,tjs er,s. IS > ts-.Gl.sss'; .s..1.s
Acceptance Of the principle that for
the terms of three years the sum of the
naval budgets shall be determined with
an. engagement, not to increase the total
during that triennial period, and with: an
obligation of announcing in advance for
said period:
First, the total tonnage Of those ships
of war which 1t is proposed to build, with
OUT specifying the model thereof.
Second, the number of officers and
crews in the navy; and the expendi-
ture on works in ports, such as forts,
docks, arsenals and the like.
The question of the exemption of pri-
vate property at sea from capture in
time of war has entered a new stage,
through the issue of the statement of the
American delegates.
1 hear on good authority that GER
tain foreign power may extend the dis
cussion to the declaration of Paris with
a view of getting rid of one feature,
which is not considered advantageous.
The first half of the voluminous paper Is
merely a summary of past action on the
The American delegates have presented
to Baron de Staal in accordance with in
structions from the United States govern
ment, an elaborate representation In
favor of allowing the question of ex.
emption of private property from seizure
at sea to be discussed at the conference.
This memorial, signed by all the mem
bers of the American delegation, begins
with rehearsing the facts and quoting
from documents which prove that this
course is in conformity with Athe policy
urged by America upon the various pow
erss at all suitable times for more than
a century.
The American delegation referring to
the statement that the circular of Count
Muravieff excludes this discussion,
stated:
1.-THE fact of our having received the
instructions herein contained from the
president of the United States showed
that our government believed the scope
of the conference wide enough to include
this question"
They urged also as an argument that
their proposal, If adopted as a rule of
war, would ameliorate the hardships of
warfare, as it could be easily proved by
experience in warfare in the past that
destruction of sea-borne commerce is one
of the most humane ways of reducing the
power of an enemy. AS a great thinker
once observed it is better to destroy men $
property than their lives.
For the moment the. question is wheth-
er the subject is one that can come con.
sistently within the terms of the Mura-
vief circular and be submitted to the
conference. It seems scarcely probable
that the matter will be solved In sense
favorable to the American proposal. At
all events some Of the leading delegates
consider 1t outside the competency of the
conference"
LONDON, June 26.-The correspondent
of the Daily News at The Hague says:
Count Munster, the head of the Ger
man delegation, has received Prince Hob
enlohe's instructions and Germany will
withdraw her objections to the establish
ment of court of arbitration, provided
the obligatory provisions are expunged
The Russians themselves do not expect
majority for their disarmament pro-
posals, which are not advanced serious
ly"