The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-07-26
STEAD'S RESUME,
Tells What Peace
Conference Has
Accomplished.
MEET UNEXPECTED SUCCESS.
American Arbitration
Scheme Adopted With
French Amendment.

(By William T. Stead-Copyright 1899
The Associated Press)
The Hague, July 25.-I have seen the
American delegates and they talked
freely about the conference, but re-
fused to make a statement about the
results before the conference rises. The
following, however, may be accepted as
a fairly accurate summary of the views
they entertain. The conference achieved
a great success-much greater than
the delegates anticipated-and the re-
suit was achieved largely by the
amour propre of capable men from all
parts of the world, determined to ac-
complish something worth their assem-
bling together.
The result surprised all of them and
the magnitude of the gains Is imper-
tectly understood even by the confer
ence. The establishment of a perma-
nent court Of arbitration on the Ameri-
can principle of revision, plus the
French declaration of the duty of neu-
| trails to recommend disputing powers
to resort to the arbitration court,
rather than to war, represents vast
progress in the evolution of human
society. The recognition of the duty to
represent to disputants the desirabiIity
of resorting to the arBftration court,
entails no obligations on the Americans
consistent with their traditional policy
This is made absolutely clear by the
| declaration signed by the American
delegation, read in full at the confer
ence today and entered on the records
| Mr. Low was busily engaged today
upon the elaboration of the final act
recording the work of the conference
/. Mr.. Hollis has achieved a position of
Influence much greater than that OF
many of the first delegates, and Capt
| CroZier is much admired for his plucky
fight in support Of his amendment to
the Russian resolution on the dunn dun
bullet.
The relations between the Americans
and other delegates, notably the Eng
fish, German and Russian, have beer
extremely friendly The Englishmer
and Americans acted throughout al
most like a joint delegation. This was
due to no arrangement or direction
but solely because both nations found
common ground of defense, common in
Iterests, 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 the British cabi-
net being divided, the delegates had
no instructions regarding the matter,
and abstained from taking action.
After the arbitration committee is
signed it will probably be open to the
adhesion of all other powers not repre-
sented at the conference, on condition
that no original signatory of the con-
vention object.
| This right to blackball any power
wishing to join the convention was in
sisted upon by Italy, in order to pre-
vent the adhesion of the pope, and
by England on account of the Trans
vaal. 1t is hoped that all the South
American states will come in.
| 1t is the unanimous opinion of all
the American delegates that the con-
ference begins a new epoch and that
the good seed now sown will bear a rich
harvest hereafter.
William T. Stead.