Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1899-05-11
PEACE CONFERENCE.
The United States ind Great Brit
ain Will Stand Together.
ARBITRATION WANTED FOR DISPUTES
Our Delegates Also Instructed to Get the
Red Cross Rules Extended to Warlike
Operations at Sea and to Amell-
crate Wars Horrors.

Washington, May lO.-The Cnite'
States and Great Britain will stan'
together in the advocacy of the adop
ton OF a scheme for the settlement o
international disputes by arbitration
which will be presented to the disarm
ament conference at its meeting in TIT
Hague on the 10th Of the present month
The American delegates, headed by
Ambassador White, are equipped will
a fairly well digested plan for the exc
cution Of this long-cherlshed project
while the British delegates are pre-
pared with plan which is almos
identical with the American project.
The details cannot be procured fol
publication in advance Of the presenta
ton Of the projects to the conference
1t is known, however, that there ART
essential differences between this last
plan and that embodied in the treaty
drafted by Secretary 0lney and Sil
Julian Pauncefote, which failed of &C
ton in the senate when submitted foi
ratification. The differences are rather
in the methods provided for securing
an impartial adjudication than in the
principles of the former convention
and it is believed that on those points
the British and American propositions
are not precise ely similar.
1t cannot be said that the American
delegates go to the conference with
any strong expectations that their own
scheme for securing the adjustment Of
disputes by arbitration or, indeed any
project of the kind, will secure the adj
hesion of the entire conference or even
Il majority of the delegates But they
are content to plant the seed and make
beginning which, it is hoped by the
president and Secretary Hay, will, in
the end, have substantial results.
The American delegates 60 commit
ted to this arbitration project much
more strongly than to anything likely
to figure before the conference. Re-
garding disarmament, their instruc-
tons are to tell the conference that
the present armament of the United
States, and any within the possibilities
of the future, is so far below the pres
ent minimum ornaments with which
any of the great powers Of Europe are
likely to be content that there is really
no reason why the United States should
be called into the agreement
Other points upon which the dele.
gates have been instructed are correct
ly referred to in the cable dispatches
yesterday morning, namely, the exemp-
ton from seizure of the individual
property and the extension of the Red
Cross rules to warike operations at
sea. As to the former, the president
expressed himself very strongly in his
last message to congress and the dele
gates are charged to give practical
effect to those views. As to the Red
Cross extension both the United States
and Spain, during the recent war, vol.
unfairly agreed to apply the Red Cross
rules at sea.
But another point in the instructions,
which is not mentioned in the cable
dispatches. is that relating to the anne
Iteration of the horrors of war, and
with this, too, the American delegates
are deeply concerned. 1t was because
of the presidents interest in this sub
ject, as much as for any other reason,
that the two technical experts, Capt.
Mahan and Capt Crozier, were included
in the American delegation, and the
state department hopes that something
in this direction will be accomplished
at the approaching conference.