The San Francisco call., 1899-07-26
William T. Stead Says It
Marks the Beginning of
a New Epoch.
STAND OF AMERICANS
Conference Achieved a Wonderful
Success Delegation Surprised
at It's accomplishments.
Copyrighted. 1899, by the Associated Press.

Copyrighted, 1899, by the Associated Press.
THE HAGUE, July 25.-I have seen
the American delegates and they talked
freely about the conference, but refused
to make a statement about the results
before the conference rises. The fol-
lowing, however, may be accepted as a
fairly accurate summary Of the views
they entertain;
The conference achieved a great sue
cess, much greater than the delegates
anticipated, and the resultWas achieved
largely by the amour propre of capable
men from all parts of the world, deter
mined to accomplish somethin worth
their assembling together.
The result surprised all of them. and
the magnitude of the gains is imper-
fectly understood even by the confer
ence.
The establishment of a permanent
court of arbitration on the American
principle of revision, plus the French
declaration of the duty of neutrals to
recommend disputing powers to resort
to the arbitration court, rather than to
war, represents vast progress in the
evolution of human society. The recog-
milton of the duty to represent to dis
putants the desirability of resorting to
the arbitration court, entails no obnga-
tions on the American inconsistent with
their traditional policy. This is made
absolutely clear by the declaration
signed by the American delegation.
read in full at the conference to-day
and entered on the records.
Mr.. Low was busily engaged to-day
upon the elaboration of the final act
recording the work of the conference
Mr.. Hollis has achieved position of in
fuence much greater than of many of
the first delegates, and Captain Crozier
| is much admired for his plucky fight in
support of his amendment to the Rus
sian resolution of the dumdum bullet.
The returns between American and
other delegates, notably the English,
German and Russian, has been ex-
tremely friendly. The Englishmen and
Americans acted throughout almost
like joint delegation. This was due
to no arrangement or direction, but
solely because both nations found COM
mon ground of defense, common inter
ests, civilization and humanity.
The only point on which the English
delegates failed to support the Ameri-
cans was the resolution fOrbidding the
capture of private property at sea. To
this the English representatives were
not opposed, but British opinion being
divided, the delegates had no instruc-
tionS regarding the matter and alb
stained from taking action.
After the arbitration convention is
signed, II Will PROBABLY be opened to
the adhesion of all other powers not
represented at the conference on con-
dition that no original signatory of the
convention object. This right to black
ball any power wishing to join the con-
vention was insisted upon by Italy, in
order to prevent the adhesion of the
Pope, and by England on account of
the TransvaaL 1t is hoped that all the
South American states will come in.
1t is the unanimous opinion of all the
American delegates that the conferences
begins a new epoch and the good seed
now soWn will bear a rich harvest here
after. WILLIAM T. STEAD