Omaha daily bee., 1899-06-06
NATIONS WILL JOIN HANDS
COMMITTEES at The Hague Lays Plans for
Men to Live at Peace,
MEDIATION SCHEME FORMALLY APPROVED
sipnatory Governments Pledged tu
Appeal to Friendly Powcrs-Othcr
Nations May oncr
Services.

THE HAGUE, June 5--The arbitration
committee of the peace conference held
meeting today under the craftsmanship OF
NJ. Leon Bourgeois. Andrew D. White,
head of the United States delegation; Sir
Julian Pauncefote. head of the British del
egation. and NJ. de Staal, head of the Rus
sian delegation, with all the members OF
the committee were present
After NJ. Bourgeois had made a sympa-
thetc reference to the death of Miss Roth,
the daughter of Dr. Roth head of the Swiss
delegation, who was killed In a railway ac-
cident last Thursday at Flushing, the secre-
tary of the drafting committee read the
draft scheme of mediation 1t had had under
discussion. Articles / and Ii are deClaratory
to the effect that the signatory powers,
in order to prevent a recourse to force nave
agreed to effect pacific solutions of differ
enCes and WILL except In exceptional cir
cumstances, before an appeal to force have
recourse to the mediation of one or more
friendly powers.
Article iii states that Independently Of
a recourse to such amicable means the
signatories deem it eXpedient that one or
more powers not concerned in the conflict
should offer of their own initiative, and
so far as circumstances will permit, its or
their good offices of mediation to the states
z
of mediation belongs to powers not con-
cerned in the conflict. even during the
course of actual hostilities and the ex-
ercise of this right can never be considered
| by the parties at variance as an unfrendly
| act.
| Function of Mediator.
Article iv provides that the role of med
iator shall consist in the reconciliation of
conflicting claims and the allaying of Bit
| terness between states at variance
Article V, defining the Limitation Of the
| function of mediator, says it shall cease
on the moment when it is stated by one OF
the parties to the dispute, or by the med
| iator, that the arrangements or the basis OF
| friendly understanding proposed by him
| is not accepted.
| Article vi says that the end that the
| good offices contemplated, either at the in
stance of the parties at variance or on the
| initiative of uninvolved powers, are eX-
| clusively of the character of friendly coun-
sci.
Article vii asserts: Acceptance OF media
tion cannot have the effect, except by vir-
tue of a convention to the contrary, of in
terrupting or retardng or hampering mo-
bilization or other preparations for war
If mediation intervenes after the opening OF
hostilities it shall not interrupt, except by
itary operations in course of execution"
| Second for Each Side.
Article viii: "The signatories are to rec
ommend in all circumstances permitting II
special mediation in the following form:
In the event of grave differences threaten
ing peace the states at variance shall choose
respectively a power to which each shall
confide the mission OF entering into delb-
erations with the power chosen by the side
in order to prevent a rupture of friendly
relations. During the period of their man
date, which, except in the event of a stipu-
lation to the contrary, shall not exceed
thirty days, the question in dispute shall
be considered as referred exclusively to
these powers They shall apply all their
efforts to settle the dispute and in the event
of an actual rupture of friendly relations
shall remain charged with the mission to
restore peace.
The draft was adopted without modfica
ton, although the committee stated that i
should be subject to notifications at thu
second reading.