The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1899-05-24
THE PEACE CONGRESS IN SESSION.
COMMISSIONS APPOINTED.
Restriction Of Armam ents, Laws Governing
Warfare and Arbitration are the Ques-
tons to be Discussed.

The Peace Congress, called by the
Czar for the purpose of permanent dis
armament of the civilized nations OF
the world Is now in session at The
Hague. Holland.
The permanent president OF the con-
ference viii be NJ. de Stdal Russian
ambassador to Great Britain. and the
head of the Russian delegation.
The honorary chairman. who VIII
open the proceedings. will be NJ. de
Beaufort president of the council and
minister of foreign affairs of the gov
eminent of the Netherlands.
The reporters will be admitted only to
hear the inaugural address of Nj. de
Beaufort. who Is excluded from open
ing the discussion of the cars pro-
Ject. Three commissions will then be
named to arrange programs for discus
sion. The first relates to restrictions
OF armaments and military expendi-
lures. The second deals with the laws
governing civilized warfare and the
third with mediation and arbitration.
great mass of diplomatic docu-
inents Will be submitted on these sub
1ects. Documents including the MEM
jects. Documents including the mem
tria, IN 1916, regarding the suggestions
OF the prince regent of England sup
ported by Alexander |. of Russia. for
an International peace conference; the
opinions of David Dudley Field of the
United States as to fixing a permanent
limit to military forces the argument
Of NJ. Merignhac, in favor Of simultane-
Gus disarmament; the proposals of
Napoleon Ill. to convoke n European
peace conference at Paris In 1868, and
the declarations of the congress OF
similar papers.
The second commission will consider
Paris 1850, and the Geneva convention
1854 the unratiied clauses of the Cen
eva convention of 1868: the acts of the
st. Petersburg convention prohibiting
the use OF certain projectiles by civillz-
ed nations; the minutes OF the Brussels
conference of 1874: the suggestions of
the Oxford manual regarding the laws
and obserVances of war: the rules for
the bonbardment of cities adopted by
the institute OF international law In
Venice In 1896; the declaration of
France and Great Britain regarding
The unadopted rules of the Geneva con-
vention; the views of the Amsterdam
chamber of commerce, approved by
successive Netherlands foreign minis
ters urging the adoption of the minutes
Of the Brussels conference of 1874; deal
Ing with the laws and observances of
war which did not lead to the conclus-
Ton OF any convention, and the circular
Of the Dutch minister of foreign affairs
In 1871, relating to the adoption of the
principle OF invlolability of private
property, and urging n clearer defini-
tion of the term "Contraband of war"
The third commission will consider
the proposals of Lord Clarendon at
the Paris congress in 1856 for the in
termediation of a friendly state pre-
vious to q recourse to force; the mo-
tion of Signor Mancini In the Italian
chamber of deputies in 1875 In favor OF
arbitration; the acts of the Berlin and
zurich conferences on compromise and
mediation; David Dudley Fields plan
for an arbitration tribunal; the pro-
posals for an arbitration tribunal for
the North, Central and South Ameri-
can states adopted in Washington in
1890; the Marquis of Salisbury's letters
to Sir Julian Pauncefote in 1896. relat-
ing to the conclusion OF an arbitration
treaty between Great Britain and the
United States. and the terms of the
ratified Anglo-American treaty, and
many similar documents.
The London Daily News publishes a
dispatch from The Hague, supposed
to be inspired by william T. Stead,
which says i'm part:
Regarding arbitration. the present
position of the delegates seem to be
this: Germany and the other two
powers of the triple alliance are en-
tirely against II and Turkey follows in
their wake. Great Britain and the
United States are entirely I'm favor of
II. Prof. Won Stengel of the German
delegation said to-day: Arbitration
Is impracticable when two nations are
divided by vital issue. while In less
important questions 1t exists alfeady.'
France Is hesitating and will prob
ably agree with Russia. Several dele
gates confess that they came to the
conference unprepared and have al
ready learned much"