The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1899-06-24
Editorial.
The Peace Congress,

The Peace Congress,
A crisis has now been reached in
the work of the peace congress, and
the issue no longer rests with the
delegates assembled. The negoti-
ations have come to a virtual dead
lock, and the situation has been re-
ferred to the governments them
selves for calculation.
The members of the conference
will spend the time for few days
waiting until instructions are re.
ceived from headquarters which
will settle the question whether the
attempt to make war more difficult
will be abandoned or whether some
small practical benefit will be
gained.
1t cannot be said that the out
look is hopeful. Those who san
guinely believed that the milenni-
um would date from May rs, 1899,
have been encouraged by the an
nouncement that one or another
subcommittee had agreed by a
majority to some proposal design
ed to mitigate the horrors o: war.
1t was false encouragement.
No measure which fails to COM
mand practically the unanimous
support of the peace congress has
any chance of adoption or gaining
force in international law. In other
words, any single great power
possesses the fuction of decisive
veto against any measure which
may be proposed.
AS matter of fact every single
proposal of any Importance which
has come before the committees in
conference has encountered this
fatal opposition. 1t is even prob.
able that certain humane measures
which every civilized country is
willing to adopt in the form of in
structions to army and navy COM
manders, will be rejected when it
comes to a question of Incorporate
ing them in international law.
The reason is that as laws they
involve the Intervention oil. neutrals
and there is strong opposition
among the delegates against adj
ding to the power of neutrals, who
might become belllgerents, by
citing the violation of international
law, real or reported, as justifca-
ton of their interference.
This ground of opposition is given
against even the humane code for
the protection and care of wounded
at sea, which was drawn up by the
Geneva committee. The same reas-
on has been cited in the discussions
of the Brussels committee.
The American delegates fully re-
alize that there is no chance of the
adoption of their proposal for neu-
tralizing private property at sea.
There are many special reasons
urged against the measure, but the
only general one is that it seriously
weakens the strongest deterrent
from war, namely, the loss and in
convenience sustained by COM
batants.
The one important question upon
which all attention is conferred is
the fate of the proposed permanent
arbitration tribunal. There is other
Opposition besides that of Germany
to this scheme, but it is unimpor-
tant. Russia, for instance, is OPP
posed to the constitution of the
central bureau provided for in Sir
Julian Pauncefote's scheme. There
fore the British plan has been
modified.
The German delegates received
fresh instructions which have not
been made public, but there is no
reason to believe that they will
tend toward harmonizing the situ-
alton. In fact, it is well known
that the German government re-
CARDS the conference complete
failure and that any agreement is
impossible.