Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-07-13
PEACE CONFERENCE,
Question Of Immunity Of Private
Property at Sea from Capture,
THE AMERICANS GET IT REFERRED.
MIR, Andrew ID. White successfully APP
peals to The Hague Conference 10 Con-
slider the Matter Administration
Mt Washington Pleased.

The Hague, July 6.-The American
delegates to the peace conference won
a signal victory yesterday when the
conference, after n full discussion, voted
to refer to "a special conference the
question regarding the immunity OF
private property at sea from capture
The second committee met in the morn
ing and Andrew D. White, head OF the
American delegation, preached the
subject. The question of its adlnlssi'
bility under the conference mandate
was discussed. No vote was taken, but
an agreement was arrived at to allow
the Americans to present their case III
full in the afternoon. Had vote been
taken Immediately the Amerlcaps
would doubtless have carried their
point by majority Of one or two ana
to avoid this a resolution was proposed
recognizing the Importance ana com
plexty of the question and recon-
mending the sumnoning of speclal
conference.
At the afternoon sitting OF the com
mittee, the successive clauses OF the
laws of war having been adopted, NJ,
De Mertens of the Russian delegation,
moved resolution to that effect Mr.
White seconded it, and, in the course
of clear and eloquent statement OF
the American case, he said the United
States government had accepted the
invitation to participate in the con
ference with alacrity, because OF the
opportunity it was expected the con-
ference would afford for preaching the
truth with regard to the immunity
from capture of private property at
sea. He admitted, however, that the
United States government recognized
it would be hopeless to expect any
decided result from this conference,
owing TO three causes absence OF IN
1 Productions from power of the govern
ments: second, doubts ms to the com
petence Of the conference, and, third,
the length of time necessary for dis
cussion OF all the bearings OF the case.
Mr.. White frankly admitted the diff
culties involved in deciding what con
stituted contraband OF war, but insist
ed that these supplied one of the best
arguments for a full and prominent
discussion. The suffering and losses
which seizures entailed were immense
while the effect upon the Innate re-
suit Of war was almost nothing.
The resolution was then put and car
ried without opposition, but with res
ervations on the part of Great Britain
France and Russia. The pleDary con
ference assembled subsequently ant
accepted all the recommendations o
the committee. The American delegs
ton is much gratifed at the result
The delegates could not anticipate
practical issue at this time. The max
imum success possible was full AM
free opportunity Of placing the Amer
can view on record and Of continuing
unbroken the tradition Of century o
American protest in behalf of progres
siye ideas in international law. Thi
result, which at one time appeared i'm
possible, owing to the almost insupeI
able difficulties, is now triumphant
attained.
THE ADMINISTRATIONS PLEASED,
Washington, July 6-The news fror
The Hague, announcing the unan
, nous vote Of the peace conference !
favor Of holding a special conferenc
hereafter to discuss the freedom fror
seizure Of private property at sea l
time Of war, is source of genuln
satisfaction to the administration Tn
7 American delegates had more interes
in this question perhaps than an
E other before the conference. In