Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1899-06-08

The Hague, June 1.-THE arbitration
committee of the peace conference
held a meeting yesterday, under The
craftsmanship Of NJ. Leon Bourgeois.
Andrew D. White, head OF the United
States delegation, Sir Julian Paunce-
fote, head of the British delegation,
and NJ. de Staal, head Of the Russian
delegation, with all the members of The
committee, were present. After M.
Bourgeois had made a sympathetic
reference to the death Of Miss Roth,
daughter of DR.. Roth, head of the Swiss
delegation, who was killed in a railway
accident last Thursday at Flushing,
the secretary of the drafting committee
read the draft of the scheme of media
ton it had had under consideration.
Articles l and 2 were declaratory to
the effect that the signatory powers, IN
order to prevent recourse to force, have
agreed to effect pacific solutions OF diff
ferences and will, except in exceptional
circumstances, before an appeal to
force have recourse to the mediation OF
one or more friendly powers.
Article provides that independent
ly recourse to such amicable means,
the signatorS deem it expedient that
one or more powers not concerned IN
conflict should offer, of its or their own
iniative and so far as circumstances
will permit, it's or their good offices Of
mediation to the states at variance.
The right to offer good offices of
mediation belongs to the powers not
concerned in the conflict, even during
the course of actual hostilities; and
the exercise CT t1is right can never be
considered by the parties at variance
as an unfriendly act.
Article 4 provides that the role of
mediator shall consist in a reconcilia-
ton of the conflicting parties, and
in bringing friendliness between the
states at variance.
Article 5, defining limitation, says
that the moment when it is Stated by
one of the parties to the dispute, or by
a mediator, that the arrangements or
basis of a friendly understanding pro-
posed by him is not accepted, the ne
gotiations may be considered at an
end.
Article says that good Offices con-
templated, either at the instance of the
parties at variance or on the initiative
of uninvolved powers, are exclusively
of the character of a friendly counsel
Article asserts: 'The acceptance
of mediation cannot have the effect
except by virtue of a convention tC
the contrary, of interrupting or re,
tarding or hampering mobilization OF
other preparations for war. If media
ton intervenes after the opening o.
hostiities, it shall not interrupt, ex
cept by virtue of a convention to the
contrary, military operations in the
course of execution
Article 8: 'The signatories are on ac
cord to recommend in all circumstan
ces permitting it, special mediation il
the following form: In the event o.
grave differences threatening peace
the states at variance shall choose re-
spectively power to which each shall
confide the mission of entering into
deliberations with power chosen by
the other side, in order to prevent g
rupture of friendly relations. During
the currency of the British mandate
which, except in the event of a stipula-
ton to the contrary, shall never ex-
coed 80 days, the question in dispute
shall be considered as ratified exclu-
siyely by the powers. They shall ap-
ply all their efforts to settle the dis
pute, and, in the event of an actual
rupture of friendly relations, shall re-
main charged with the mission OF
taking advantage of every occasion to
restore peace"
The draft was adopted without mod
itication, although the committee stip-
ulated it should be subject to modifi-
cations at its second reading.
The naval section of the armament
committee unanimously rejected he
Russian. proposals.