Omaha daily bee., 1899-05-07

The American delegates to the inter
national conference which win meet at
The Hague next week will have a less
important part in the deliberations than
the representatives of European pow
ers, but it is expected that they will
exert a considerable influence i'm behalf
of international arbitration ard for the
principle Of eXempting merchant vessels
not carrying Contraband of war from
seizure. Captain Mahan, one of the
delegates, stated that these would be
the main points the Americans would
urge and there is reason to expect that
they will be able to secure an agree
mcnt on them.
AS was said by President Mckinley in
his last annual message, the United
States government has for many years
advocated the principle of treating pri-
vatc property on the sea in time of war
the same as private property on land.
1--WE desire" he said, "in common with
most civilized nations, to reduce to the
lowest possible point the damage sus-
taincd in time of war by peaceful trade
and commerce. This purpose
can probably best be accomplished by
an international agreement to regard all
private property as sea as exempt from
capture or destruction by the forces
of bclligcrent powers" This principle
was strictly observed by the United
States in the war with Spain. Although
not one of the signatory powers to the
Declaration of Paris, for the reason
that while that forbade privateering it
did not give protection to commerce,
this country at the very outset of the
war announced its concurrence in the
abolition of privatcering. What it will
now endeavor to secure is an agreement
among the nations to do what they re-
fused nearly half Il century ago, namely,
to exempt peaceful commerce from
spoliation in time of war. The eXpc-
diency of doing this is not even now
universally conceded. Captain Mahan
himself has strongly combated the
principle. 1t is therefore quite possible
that more or less opposition to it will be
shown in the conference. But the feel
ing that controlled at the time of the
Declaration of Paris is certainly not so
general now, while the international
influence of the United States is very
much greater than it then was. These
considerations furnish good ground for
thinking that our delegates to the peace
conference Will succeed in securing an
agreement for the protection of peace
full commerce in time of war.
In regard to arbitration, there is no
doubt that the sentiment favorable to
it has been steadily growing and it will
be surprising if there is shown in the
conference any very serious opposition
to it. 1t seems safe to say that the
British delegates will be found in full
sympathy with the Americans as to this
principle. and we can conceive of no
good reason why Russia, France and
Germany should not be, while the
smaller powers ought to accept it un
hestatingly, as being distinctly in their
interest. 1t is perhaps too much to eX-
pect that so comprehensive an agree
ment respecting arbitration as the
American delegates are likely to pro-
pose will be accepted, but any steps in
this direction will be Il gain in the in
terest of the worlds peace and tend to
the strengthening of friendly relations
between all countries.
If the American representatives shall
be able to carry the main points they
will present for the consideration of the
conference the DarticiDa ton of the
United States in this congress of the ma
tions will have been of great benefit to
mankind.