New-York tribune., 1902-07-13
HOSPITALITY ABUSED.
4 QUESTION ABOUT To ENGAGE THE AT
TENTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL
TRIBUNAL, OF THE HAGUE.

brought TO a close, the English Government Is
sbout 10 submit to the International Tribunal
of The Hague a matter with which the latter is
particularly well qualified TO deal. namely, the
abuse Of the hospitality of foreign countries in
making them either the jumping off place. or
base Of warfare rebellion or mere conspiracy
against either a friendly nation or its govern
nent The British authorities alege, not with
out some show OF reason, that the conflict in
South Africa was prolonged for months by the
action Of Paul KRUGER, DR.. Leyds and the other
members Of the Boer Junta in Europe, who
from the vantage ground of Holland and Bel
GUM, TO which they had transferred their coun-
Gil board from Pretoria, endeavoIed not merely
70 direct the resistance offered by the Boer re-
pubbcs to Great Britain. but likewise to ham
Per the latter by creating difficulties for her
with other powers.
Considerations Of policy have caused England
20 refrain from bringing up this question until
now. She realized that popular sympathy
abroad was TO a far greater extent with the
Beers than with herself a sympathy based not
so much on any questions Of right and equity
as on the fact that popular feeling is always in
favor Of the weaker Of two combatants. and
that the spectacle Of two relatively small repub-
Hes making a stubborn and gallant struggle
for the preservation of their independence
against overwhelming odds was calculated to
appeal even to their very foes
England, therefore, refrained from making
any remonstrance either to the Dutch or TO the
Belgian governments on the subject of the ac-
hvity Of President KRUGER and his Boer Junta
in those two countries long as the South
African war was in progress in spite Of the fact
that Holland. as well as Belgium, is largely in
debted TO Great Britain for its existence as a
nation. But, now that the struggle is at an
he has
and likewise for the smaller countries, TO arrive
al some sort Of an understanding about the
matter and 70 come TO an agreement as to the
extent TO which refugees shall be allowed to
abuse the hospitality conceded 10 them by a
nation in carrying on hostile designs against
the Iatter's neighbors.
In order that the readers Of The Tribune NAV
appreciate the necessity Of some action of this
kind, I would ask them to picture to themselves
the Indignation which would have prevailed
throughout the Northern States Of this country
i, after the fall Of Richmond, jefferson Davis
had managed to escape along with his princi-
Pal advisers and his treasury, TO Canada, and
had continued to direct from there the opera
tons Of the Confederacy against the Union.
prclonging the war long beyond the period at
which it was brought to an end.
The meeting Of the International Congress Of
LIZ nag AE abOAL the matter VII nave tn4S pc
culiar.ty that none of the nations represented
VII come clean handed. There is not one which
has not permitted its territory TO be used for
the harboring Of designs directed against the
rulers and the government Of countries with
which It is professedly on terms of amity and
friendship, England indeed being one Of the
very worst offenders in this respect Some
times this tolerance on the part Of the local
authorities is due to the absence Of adequate
legislation, and in other instances it is at
tribUtable 10 the expectation of deriving ad-
Tantages Of one kind another from the en-
barTassments in which neighboring States are
likely TO become involved by the execution Of
these designs Great Britain, for instance, ex-
perienced considerable difficulty in finding laws
enabling her to in1ict adequate punishment
upon the perpetrators Of the memorable Jane
son raid, who had deliberately made use Of Eng
lsh territory the jumping off place for a
fAbusIering expedition into the Transvaal. a
country with which she was living at the time
on terms OF friendship and peace. The United
States found il equally arduous task to put
a stop to those filibustering expeditions dis
patched from American ports to Cuba prior to
The war with Spain, and only in one instance
that can recall was it possible to secure the
conviction and punishment OF the leader Of
raid OF this kind by the American courts.
In Italy there are two powerful associations,
We'll provided with funds. comprising in their
ranks some Of the most eminent statesmen of