Omaha daily bee., 1899-07-06
AMERICANS HAVE THEIR WAY
Private Property at Sea Will Be Topic of a
Special Conference
WHITE PLEADS FOR ITS CONSIDERATION
Points ont the Immense Damage
Done 10 worlds Commerce by
Priyntccrs with No Result
to BclIigcrcnts.

THE HAGUE, July 5.-The Americans
scored a great success today in obtaining
from the peace conference unanimous
vote in favor of having the private prop
erty at sea in time OF war dealt with at
special conference to be summoned mere
after. Much diplomatic management was
necessary and many obstacles had TO be
surmounted.
The second committee met this morning
and Andrew d. White, head OF the Amer
lean delegation. broached the subject. The
question of its admissibility under the con-
ference mandate was discussed No vote
was taken, but an agreement was arrived at
to allow the Americans to present their
case in full this afternoon. Had vote
been taken Immediately, the Americans
would doubtless have carried their point
by majority OF one or two. and to avoid
this a resolution was provided recognizing
the Importance and complexity OF the ques-
ton and recommending the appointment OF
special conference
Mr. White in the course OF clear and
eloquent statement OF the American case,
said the United States government had ac-
cepted the invitation to participate in the
conference with alacrity, because OF the
opportunities it was expected the confer
ence would offer for preaching the truth
of private property at sea. He admitted,
however, that.th United States government
| recognized it would be hopeless to expect
any decisive result from this conference,
owing to three causes first absence OF
| introductions from powers; second, doubts
| as to the competence of the conference, and,
| third, the length OF time necessary Tor
discussion of all questions.
Mr. White frankly admitted the difficulties
| in deciding what constituted contraband OF
wal; but insisted that these supplied one
| of the best arguments for full and prom
| inent discussion. The sufferings and losses
which seizures entailed we're immense, while
| the effect upon the ultimate result of war
| was almost nothing.
Work of Three Cruisers.
Referring to the experience Of the United
| States in the war of the rebellion he said
| that only three confederate cruisers did
| anything of Importance, but they captured
| 1863 vessels, quadrupled the rate OF 1nsur-
| ance between the United States and Great
| Britain and compelled the transfer OF q
half million tons of American shipping to
British bottoms. The final result was that
the whole American marine was virtually
| swept out of existence.
"If that resulted from the operations of
three poorly equipped little steamers" he
| continued, what would happen with the
| means at the disposal of the greater nations
| today? Yet every one knows that this pri-
| Watering had not the slightest effect in
! ending or even shortening the war, nor
| would 1t had any had the losses been ten
times greater. The only real effect is gained
| by ships in maintaining blockade.
Nowadays the transfer of goods by land is
| so general that interruption by sea as a
rule does nothing to promote the ending Of
| war, but that interruption may destroy ac-
| cumulations of human wealth and skill re-
| quiring a generation to make good, while
| the losses cannot be confined to belliger-
| ents alone but must affect more less
| directly the whole world"
| Motives Practical, But Pure.
Mr.. White warmly repudiated the suppo-
| sition that the Americans were animated
| by selfish considerations; they were emf
nently practical, he said, but not less pre-
| eminently devoted to great ideals.
This he illustrated by referring to the
| immense sacrifices made during the civil
war, and the devotion by Americans to ar
bitration. What he was urging upon the
delegates was question of right and JUS
| tce for the whole world and this all Amer
| leans felt deeply. Nor could the acceptance
| of the American proposal injure any ma
| ton. On the contrary it would strengthen
| all. The head of the American delegation
concluded with an eloquent appeal to the
jurists, diplomats and statesmen of all ma
| tions assembled in the conference, to take
the subject under careful consideration,
saying In the words of Count Nesserode,
that the addition of this result to interna-
tional law would be crown of glory to
the worlds diplomacy"
/ n. Dullauspn SllDDOrtel Mr. "Whita and
suggested that the governments favoring
the idea should conclude treaties among
themselves. Sir Julian Pauncefote said that
British opinion was divided on the subject
and that he had no instructions regarding
it. In his personal opinion the question was
outside the scope of the conference.
Delegates Have Limited Power.
NJ. Bourgeois, head OF the French delega-
tion, and Captain Scheme, of the Russian
delegation, announced that In the absence
of instructions they could not vote. The
resolution was then put and carried with
out opposition, but with reservations on the
part OF Great Britain, France and Russia.
The committee also adopted a resolution
that the question OF the determination OF
the rights and duties OF neutral states
should be placed on the program of the
future conference.
The plenary conference assembled subse-
quently and accepted all the recommends
tions of the committee.
The American delegation is much grati-
fed at the result. The delegates would
not have anticipated a practical result al
, this time. The result which at one time
appeared almost impossible on account OF
the almost insuperabe difficulties is now
triumphantly attained.