New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-10
AMERICA AT THE HAGUE.
WILL WORK WITH ENGLAND FOR INTER
NATIONAL ARBITRATION.
HOPE TO SECURE ANTICIPATION OF THE
HORRORS OF wAR-NoT TO ENTER
INTO A DISARMAMENT
AGREEMENT

AGREEMENT.
Washington May 0-The United States and
Great Britain will stand together in advocat-
Ing the adoption Of scheme for the settlement
Of international disputes by arbitration, which
will be presented to the disarmament Confer
ence at it's meeting in The Hague. The Ameri-
can delegates. headed by Ambassador White
have a fairly ell-digested plan for the execu-
tion of this long-cherished project. while the
British delegates have prepared a plan which
is almost identical with the American project
The details cannot be procured for publication
in advance of the presentation Of the projects
to the conference. 1t Is known. however. that
there are essential differences between this last
plan and that embodied in the treaty drafted
by Secretary Olney and Sir Julian Pauncefote,
which failed OF ratification in the Senate. The
differences are rather in the methods provided
for securing an impartial adjudication than IN
the principles of the former convention. and 1t
is believed that these points the British and
American propositions are not precisely alike.
n cannot be said that the American delegates
go to the conference with any strong expecta-
ton that their own scheme for securing the
adjustment OF disputes by arbitration, OF, In
deed any project of the kind, will secure the
adhesion of the entire conference, or even or a
majority of tho delegates. But they are con-
tent to plant the seed and make beginning,
which. 1t is hoped by the President and secre-
tary Hay, will in the end have substantial re-
suits.
INSTRUCTIONS TO AMERICAN DELEGATES
The American delegates go committed to this
arbitration project much more strongly than to
any other measure likely TO come before the
conference. Regarding disarmament. their In
structions are to tell the conference that the
present armament Of the United States, and
any within the possibilities Of the future, are
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 on which the delegates have been
instructed are the exemption from seizure Of
Individual property and the extension Of the Red
Cross rules to warlike operations at sea- As
to the former. the President expressed himself
the delegates go charged to give practical ef-
feet to these views. AS to the Red Cross ex-
tension. both the United staes and Spain IN
the recent war voluntarily agreed to apply the
Red Cross rules at sea. Another point In the
instructions relates TO the amelioration Of the
horrors Of war. and with this also the Ameri-
can delegates deeply concerned. 1t was be-
cause Of the Presidents interest in this sub
ject as much as for any other reason that the
two technical experts, Captain Mahan and Cap
tain Crozier, were included In the American
delegation and the State Department hopes that
something toward this object will be accom-
plished at the approaching conference.