Waterbury evening Democrat., 1903-12-07

to say that this government has aI- ways been in it's views among the most advanced of the governments of the world ill favor of mitigating, as to all noncombatants the hardships and horrors of war. To accomplish that object it has always advocated those rules which would in most cases do away with the right to capture the private property of an enemy on the high seas"
 I advocate this as matter of hu- manity and morals. It is anachronis- tic when private property is respected on land that 1t should not be respected at sea. Moreover, it should be borne in mind that shipping represents, in ternationally speaking, a much more generaliZed species of private property than is the case with ordinary proper ty on land-that is, property found at sea is much less apt than is the case with property found on land really to belong to any one nation. Under the modern system of corporate ownership the flag of a vessel often differs from the flag which would mark the nation ality of the real ownership and money control of the vessel, and the carEo may belong to individuals of yet diff ferent nationality. Much American capital is now invested in foreign ships, and among foreign nations it often happens that the capital of one is large ly invested in the shipping of another. Furthermore, as q practical matter it may be mentioned that, while commerce destroying may cause serious loss and great annoyance, 1t can never be more than subsidiary factor in bringing to terms resolute foe This is now well recognized by all of our naval experts. The fighting ship, not the commerce destroyer, is the vessel whose feats add renown to a nations history and es- tablish her place among the great pow- CTS of the world
 Last year the Interparliamentary Un- ion For Interna tional Arbitration met at Vienna, 600 members of the differ ent legislatures of civilized countries attending. It was provided that the next meeting should be in 1904 at St, Louis, subject to our congress extend ing an invitation. Like The Hague tribunal, this interparliamentary union is one of the forces tending toward peace among the nations of the earth, and it is entitled to our support. I trust the invita- ton can be extended.
 RELATIONS WITH TURKEY.
 Early iii July, having received intel ligence, which happily turned out to be erroneous, of the assassination of our vice consul at Beirut, I dispatched a small squadron to that port for such service as might be found necessary on arrival. Although the attempt on the life of our vice consul had not been successful, yet the outrage was symp- tomatic of a state of excitement and disorder which demanded immediate attention, The arrival of the vessels had the happiest result A feeling of security at once took the place of the former alarm and disquiet. Our off cers were cordially welcomed by the consular body and the leading mer- chants, and ordinary business resumed it's activity. The government of the sultan gave a considerate hearing to the representations of our minister; the official who was regarded as responsi- ble for the disturbed condition of af- fairs was removed Our relations with the Turkish government remain friend ly; our claims, founded on negotiable treatment of some of our schools and missions, appear to be in process of ann icable adjustment.
 RELATIONS WITH CHINA. The signing of a new commercial treaty with China, which took place at Shanghai on the Sth of October, is a cause for satisfaction. This act, the re- suit of long discussion and negotiation, places our commercial relations with the great oriental empire on more satisfactory footing than they have ever heretofore enjoyed. It provides not only for the ordinary rights and privileges of diplomatic and consular officers, but also for an important ex- tension of our commerce by increased facility, of access to Chinese ports and for the relief of trade by the removal of some of the obsta cles which have embarrassed 1t in the past. The Chi nese government engages on fair and equitable conditions, which will proba- bly, be accepted by the principal com mercial nations, to abandon the levy of 'liken' and other transit dues through out the empire and to introduce other desirable administrative reforms. Lar ger facilities are to be given to our citi- zens who desire to carry on mining en- terprises in China. We have secured for our missionaries a valuable privi- lege, the recognition of their right to rent and lease in perpetuity such prop. erty as their religious societies may need in all parts of the empire. And what was an indispensable condition for the advance and development of our commerce in Manchurta, China, by treaty with us has opened to foreign commerce the cities of Mukden, the capital of the province of Manchuria, and Antung, an important port on the Yalu river, on the road to Korea. The full measure of development which our