The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-05-31
CONFER ENCE AT THE HAGUE.
Text of Russian Mediation and Arbitrn-
 tiOn Proposals.

1 Text Of Russian M Mediatton and Arbitra- tiOn Proposals.
 The Hague, May 30.-The Vaderland | prints to-day the text of the Russian | proposals regarding mediation and arb- 1 tration:
 Part first deals with the desirability of | seeking a solution of international dis putes by the mediation of friendly powers and sets forth that such good | offices, whether sought or proffered shall bear strictly the character of friendly counsel and in no way resort to force. Part second deals with international arbitration with the most efffcacious | means of settling questions regarding
 the international application of treaties.
 The contracting powers, therefore, should undertake to seek arbitration in
 such cases so far as these affect neither vital interests nor the national honor of the parties in dispute. Then, after set ting forth that each state remains the sole judge of what eases are so to be
 submitted to arbitration it is suggested
 that a large number of cases such as
 questions of pecuniary damage and dis
 agreements in the application of treaties
 or conventions affecting commercial,
 postal, navigation, currency, sanitary
 and copyright matters and the like not
 affecting vital interests or national
 honor are those in which arbitration
 should be obligatory In all other cases,
 says the Russian scheme, arbitration,
 though recommended by the present
 act, can only be applied on the spon-
 taneous initiative of one of the parties
 in dispute and with the consent of the
 other parties.
 The closing clause provides as follows:
 ''With a view of facilitating recourse to
 arbitration, the sgnatory powers agree
 to formulate a common arrangement for the employment of international ar
 bitraton and for the fundamental prln- ciples to be observed in drawing up rules of procedure to be followed pend-
 ing inquiry into the dispute and the pronouncement of the arbitrators' deci- sion. The application of these princi- pies and procedure may be modified in virtue of special arrangements between the states which may have recourse to arbitration"
 Part third deals with a commission of inquiry. It provides as follows: Tn cases of divergence causing internatlon- al litigation on local circumstances ,,,Iio ha 1a5 h,, lI,,o diplomatic means, but do not involve honor or vital interests the govern ments interested agree to institute an international commission of inquiry to investigate impartially all questions of facts Each government interested shall choose a fifth, who shall be pres ident of the commission If the votes are divided. as to this, an appeal shall be made to another government or to third party to appoint a president. After the investigation the commission shall submit a report signed by all the members to the governments interested. The report shall in nowise have the character of an arbitration judgment, but shall leave the conflicting parties at full liberty either to conclude a friendly agreement on the basis of said report or to have recourse to arbitration by concluding an agreement ad hoo. or else by resorting to active measures al- lowable in the mutual relations be- tween nations"
 The Russian proposals are followed by a code of arbitrat ation indicating pro- cedure on these lines: "The states in- terested that have accepted arbitration shall sign special act of compromise, clearly setting forth the questions to be arbitrated and the full facts connected herewith. The compromise thus con- cluded may provide for arbitration up- on the whole matter in dispute or upon points categorically determined. The governments interested may entrust the functions of arbitration either to a sov- ereign third power or to a tribunal of arbitration. Such tribunal shall be se- lected in the same manner as commis- sions of inquiry; and if difficulty arises in choosing the fifth arbitrator as presi- dent the other powers shall be asked by common consent to appoint a presi- dent' The other clauses of the propos- als deal with details as to place of meet ing, the appointment of counsel, the pro- cedure of the tribunal and cognate mat ters